The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam participates in CSIS’s 14th Annual South China Sea Conference
Dr. Nguyễn Hùng Sơn (3rd from left) was a panelist at Session 1 of the Conference. Photo: CSIS.

In his speech, Dr. Sơn assessed that the situation in the South China Sea in the past year contained numerous risks. "Gray zone" activities below the thresholds of open conflict became multi-dimensional and multi-domain, not only on the sea surface but also in other domains such as under or above the surface. The South China Sea issue was not just about maritime disputes but was increasingly linked to regional security, great power relations, the international order, and the rule of law.

In this context, according to Dr. Sơn, the international community needs to strengthen global rules and norms, especially those applied in the maritime domain in general and the South China Sea in particular. Major powers also need to lead by example, refraining from unilateral behaviors or cherry-picking of global rules and norms. Middle powers should become more active in regional maritime security. Meanwhile, ASEAN should maintain its centrality, helping to manage conflicts through its multilateral forums involving all stakeholders.

The South China Sea Conference is an annual event organized by CSIS, having a significant influence within the policy-making and academic communities in the US. The event gathers leading experts from both regional and extra-regional countries, such as Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, the US, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. Dr. Phạm Lan Dung, Acting President of the DAV; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thị Lan Anh, Director-General of the East Sea Institute; and Mr. Đỗ Hoàng, Research Officer at the East Sea Institute also attended the Conference this year.

Watch Dr. Son’s speech at the conference here.