East Sea situation discussed in Poland

Polish researchers, politicians and reporters as well as overseas Vietnamese in Poland gathered in a seminar in Warsaw on June 11 to discuss issues related to recent developments in the East Sea.

At the workshop

Rafal Tomanski, a reporter from Rzeczpospolita newspaper reviewed major actions of China in the East Sea, including its deployment of an oil rig to Vietnam’s waters and the construction of artificial islands in the sea. 

He held that these moves violated international law, going against the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). 

Making change to status quo in the area will negatively affect security and stability in the region and the world, he said, lauding the US CNN channel’s broadcasting of video showing China ’s construction of artificial islands and expansion of islands in the East Sea.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr Malgorzata Pietrasiak, a researcher on Chinese relations, analysed scientific foundation on sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, concluding that Vietnam has sufficient legal and historical evidence affirming the country’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos. 

Polish former parliamentarian Piotr Gadzinowski asserted that recent actions of China in the East Sea were part of a long-term scheme and strategy of the country.
At the same time, Dr Anna Wysocka, a geology expert from the University of Warsaw, analysed geological conditions in the East Sea and China ’s method of building the artificial islands. 

She affirmed that the construction as well as the reinforcement and expansion of islands put great impacts on the geological structure and natural environment in the East Sea . 

Nguyen Van Thai, an overseas Vietnamese in Poland, stressed that the Vietnamese community in Poland and around the globe in general will continue struggling to protect the country’s sacred sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

Source: VNA