The Roundtable discussion on the South China Sea territorial dispute and the final 1973 Paris Peace Accord concerning Vietnam
December 5, 2014
On Friday, December 5, 2014, Senator Ngo hosted and moderated the Roundtable discussion on the South China Sea territorial dispute and the final 1973 Paris Peace Accord concerning Vietnam. Parliamentarians and fellow members of the Vietnamese diaspora from the United States and Canada collaboratively examined the territorial dispute in the South China Sea and considered the 1973 Paris Peace Accord as a mechanism to manage the ongoing conflict in the region.
Over the last year, the conflict in the South China Sea has escalated because of overlapping territorial claims. A dispute over the territory and sovereignty of the Spratlys, along with the adjacent Paracel Islands, has endured for at least the last three centuries and has recently arisen as a key geopolitical issue in Southeast Asia. At issue is the potential for both the Spratlys and the Paracels to have vast reserves of natural resources. The area is one of the region’s main shipping lanes and is home to a fishing ground that provides thousands of people with a livelihood. The heightened tensions between several nations may at any time flare up into a regional conflict that could involve outside powers.
The participants explored the complex nature of the territorial dispute and increased awareness on the conflicts in the South China Sea by providing guidance towards a peaceful solution.
The Roundtable was chaired by the Honourable Senator Ngo was joined by the following honoured guests:
The Honourable Senator Lang, Chair of the Standing Committee of National Defence and Security
The Honourable Senator White, Chair of the Standing Committee for Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament
The Honourable Senator Andreychuk, Chair of the Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Honourable Tim Uppal, Minister of State for Multiculturalism
The Honourable Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights
The Honourable David W. Kilgour, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and State Secretary for Asia and the Pacific
Organizing Panel:
Professor Nguyen Ngoc Bich
Maitre Lam Chan Tho, ingénieur avocat
