East Asia should create more fresh driving forces to maintain its rapid and sustainable growth, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia 2014 in Manila, the Philippines, on May 22.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung speaks at the forum (Photo: VNA)

At the opening session, the PM made comments on the regional economic development and efforts for economic recovery, in which he stressed that East Asia is facing a lot of challenges despite its dynamic development and fast growth being maintained.

He spoke of Vietnam’s two driving forces, namely international integration and internal reform, along with opportunities for foreign investors to explore, referring to the macro-economic stability, incentives and future bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements.

The Vietnamese leader also emphasised that peace and stability are crucial for development, including peace, security, safety and maritime freedom in the East Sea.

He laid special stress on the ongoing serious developments in the East Sea following China’s illegal placement of its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep into Vietnam’s waters.

He underscored that the act seriously violates international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). It directly threatens peace, stability, security and safety of navigation in the East Sea where a half of the world’s cargo volume are being transported through its waters, and negatively affects the regional and global economy.

Vietnam has exercised its utmost restraint, showed goodwill and sought all dialogue channels to oppose and demand China’s immediate withdrawal of its rig and surrounding vessels out of Vietnam’s waters, Dung said.

China’s response is to slander Vietnam and continue using forces and increasingly intensifying its threatening and infringing actions, he added.

Vietnam is determined to protect its sovereignty and waters by peaceful measures, in accordance with international law, PM Dung affirmed.

Regarding the recent social disorder caused by some opportunists during the protests against China’s illegal act in the East Sea, the Vietnamese Government promptly prevented and punished them in line with law. The businesses affected by the incidents got proper support and resumed their normal operations, he said.

He took this opportunity to thank and call on ASEAN and countries around the world to continue backing Vietnam in protecting its national sovereignty and legitimate interest in accordance with international law.

He stressed the need for the international community to unite in preventing violations of international law.

Themed “Leveraging Growth for Equitable Progress", the forum focused on the region’s development together with solutions to ensure its sustainable growth and promote regional connectivity.

Regional countries were recommended to push up reforms across the board while improving their integration capacity to grasp opportunities from increased regional economic connectivity.

Many participants expressed their concerns over complex security and political developments in the region, including disputes in the East Sea and East China Sea.

They held that peace and stability are prerequisite conditions for securing cooperation and economic development.

They called on parties concerned to solve disputes by peaceful means in line with international law.

The forum drew over 600 regional and global scholars, business executives, government and civil society representatives.

Source: vietnamplus.vn