Singapore: Senior defence officials attending a high-profile security forum echoed China’s call for nations to properly tackle disputes in the South China Sea while maintaining peace and stability.

Nguyen Chi Vinh, Vietnam’s deputy minister of national defence, said his country “warmly welcomes” Chinese warships to visit one of its harbours and was ready to boost cooperation between the two countries’ coast guards.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, which opened in Singapore on Friday.

Experts said the move would improve interaction for regional security and help ease tensions.

Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China’s Central Military Commission, elaborated on the country’s position on the South China Sea while meeting with senior defence officials from other countries.

The Vietnamese deputy defence minister told Sun visiting Chinese vessels were welcome to conduct joint drills with the Vietnamese Navy in humanitarian relief and maritime search and rescue programmes.

Although he did not name the harbour, experts said it might be Cam Ranh Bay in southern Vietnam, a key stronghold that received two Japanese warships on May 29.

Jia Duqiang, a researcher of South-East Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Vietnam was “sending a positive signal” amid lingering tension in the South China Sea.

The recent tension, fuelled by an international arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China over the South China Sea issue, “has prompted some countries, including Vietnam, to rethink,” he said.

“As arbitration serves no good purpose in resolving the issue and maintaining peace, it is necessary for countries to return to the negotiating table.”

Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu told Sun that the South China Sea was a “common home” for all countries in the region, and they should jointly safeguard regional security.

Ryacudu also said disputes over maritime sovereignty should be resolved gradually, taking into consideration many factors such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, UN charters and historical backgrounds. — China Daily/Asia News Network