On the evening of November 14, 2020, the East Asia Summit was held in an online format on November 14, 2020, with the participation of 18 countries, including Japan, the United States, China, Korea, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Japanese Prime Minister Kan, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Japanese Prime Minister Kan, Australian Prime Minister Morrison, New Zealand Prime Minister Aden, Indian Foreign Minister Su Jensen The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs O’Brien and others. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the meeting.
At the meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Kan Yoshihide cited recent Chinese activities in the Diaoyu Islands as a backdrop for the continued violation of Japanese sovereignty in the East China Sea.
On the situation in the South China Sea and East China Sea, Kan noted that “there have been moves against the rule of law and openness”. He also expressed “grave concern” about the situation in Hong Kong. The Japanese government revealed that a number of countries have expressed concern over the situation in the South China Sea.
Kan further talked about the “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea, pointing out that China’s claim of historic rights has no legal basis.
He referred to the 2016 verdict of the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCA) in The Hague, the Netherlands, which is final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute, and said that China’s claims to the South China Sea have no legal basis.
At the summit, Kan also called for “maintaining a free and open system under one country, two systems” on the issue of Hong Kong.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed that the development and prosperity of East Asia cannot be separated from peace and stability in the South China Sea. Since the beginning of this year, the South China Sea has become an important corridor for regional countries to carry out economic and trade exchanges and transportation of anti-epidemic materials, and has always remained smooth, safe and convenient. China’s determination to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea is unwavering. We are determined to uphold and promote the international rule of law and will, as always, work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and steadily advance the consultations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
Assistant to the President for National Security O’Brien, who attended the summit on behalf of United States President Trump, named China and criticized China for “actions that threaten peace and stability in the Mekong region and the South China Sea and the sovereignty of other countries”.
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