Vietnam’s proposed South China Sea talks with Philippines raises hopes of resolution pathway

Analysts say strong political will from Manila and Hanoi is required after Vietnamese state media on Friday reported that the country was ready to discuss territorial boundaries for an undersea continental shelf in the disputed waters.

Philippine officials have expressed their readiness to hold talks to resolve such issues based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), the international treaty that provides legal guidelines to define coastal states’ territorial waters.

Under Unclos, a coastal state has the exclusive right to exploit resources in its continental shelf, a stretch of seabed that can extend up to 648km, including the right to authorise and regulate drilling activities.

Describing Vietnam’s stance as a positive sign, Minh Phuong Vu, a PhD candidate in international relations at Australian National University’s Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs, said Hanoi was adopting a restrained approach to managing differences and tensions in the South China Sea.

“Instead of protesting the Philippines’ unilateral action or using force to intimidate and communicate disagreement like Beijing, Hanoi chose to express its willingness to settle the dispute via peaceful means,” Vu said.

The only hint of dissatisfaction was “subtly communicated” by Hanoi through its statement asking Manila to respect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of other nations, Vu added.

This willingness to negotiate does not mean that a formal process will begin between the two parties, according to Vu, as determining a continental shelf boundary is a complex process that would take a long time to resolve.

China’s presence in the South China Sea and its determination to assert its claim through force or coercive