Six US senators have issued a joint statement criticizing China’s stationing of its oil rig HD-981 in the disputed waters and attacks on Vietnamese ships, describing its actions as ‘troubling’ in the region.

A Chinese water cannon was used to fire at a Vietnamese ship alongside collisions.

Tensions have been growing in the area after China on May 2 deployed its giant oil rig HD-981 and escort vessels to the East Sea area that Vietnam claims within its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

Vietnam on May 8 accused Chinese vessels, including military ships, of ramming into and using water cannons to fire at Vietnamese ships on duty, injuring six sailors and causing property damage.

“These actions threaten the free flow of global commerce in a vital region," said the joint statement signed by Democratic Senators Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida, Jim Risch of Idaho and John McCain of Arizona.

The senators said China's movement of the rig and "subsequent aggressive tactics" by its ships are "deeply troubling."

They called on their colleagues to support legislation reaffirming US support for freedom of navigation in the region.

Freedom of navigation, including freedom of operation for the US Navy and other lawful uses of the sea and airspace in East Asia, are important to the prosperity of the United States and to the safety of the entire region, they said.

"We urge the administration to make clear to China at the highest levels that territorial claims and disputes must be resolved peacefully, diplomatically and consistent with international law. Unilateral attempts to change the status quo or the use of force, coercion and intimidation are unacceptable and will only lead to instability," they wrote.

In April, the Senators introduced a resolution which reaffirms US support for freedom of navigation and operation in the region and urges all parties involved in territorial claims and disputes to seek peaceful diplomatic resolution of those disputes.

US expert: China violates both DOC and UNCLOS

China violates both the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and will face consequences in the long run.

The remark was made by Gregory Poling, a fellow from the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a world leading research center on security and international issues, in response to a Washington-based Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) correspondent.

Regarding China’s recent deployment of an oil rig along with military vessels to Vietnam’s waters, Mr Gregory Poling declared this is a clear political intention of China, not to increase profits from its National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) through oil and gas activities.

China’s actions aimed to provoke and test the reaction of Vietnam as well as send a message to neighboring Philippines and Malaysia. It's hard to deny that the message was also aimed at the US, when it coincided with the end of President Obama’s Asian trip.

Considering China's actions in terms of the DOC and UNCLOS which China had already signed, the US expert stated that China can argue if they control Hoang Sa archipelago (Paracel), then waters here also belong to them. However, Paracel is currently a place of sovereignty disputes so this is also a disputed area.

The UNCLOS 1982 clearly stipulates that in the case of a dispute, the parties need to refrain from conducting provocative and unilateral actions. In 2002, China signed the DOC with ASEAN, in which concerned parties pledged to refrain from provocative actions. Therefore, China has violated both the spirit and the content of the two agreements.

Poling added, disputes over the East Sea are the most dangerous problem in this region.

China bringing more than 80 ships to the waters of Vietnam and Vietnam mobilizing more than 20 ships in response have really exacerbated the situation.

Unlike the Philippines, Vietnam’s armed forces are capable of creating a deterrence against China, which helps prevent it from conducting further aggressive behavior.

Vietnam’s deployment of coast guard and fishery surveillance vessels to counteract China’s advances is a wise decision. It is clear that Vietnam wants to send a message to China that the country neither accepts its actions nor wishes to trigger conflict with them.

The US is very concerned about how to comply with the law in settling disputes and identifying boundaries of a disputed area. All parties concerned must refrain from carrying out provocative and unilateral actions in the disputed area.

The US is not expecting a war relating to the Paracel issue and will make efforts to build a united front not only between ASEAN but also the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Australia. This model is quite successful as most major countries have publicly condemned China's actions in the East Sea over the past few years, he noted.

Concerning the consequences caused by China’s actions for the region and for China itself, Polling said in the short-term, the worst scenario is violence, damaging economic ties in the region as well as China's position. But the biggest concern for Beijing is the long-term consequences. With every step like this, China has destroyed the goodwill they built in South East Asia, pushing its closest neighbors away.

The country will lose confidence in its commitment to other agreements and WTO obligations. Whether or not Beijing has taken into account such consequences of its provocation will be evident in 10 or 20 years? Poling concluded.

VOV/VNA/VNN