ABSTRACT
The 1951 San Francisco Conference was the first and only one opportunity for the Government of Vietnam to affirm its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly archipelago before the international community, and, as expected, it had no objection or second opinion from any country. The issue of Vietnam's sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands cannot be fully understood without an adequate knowledge of the issues regarding the East Sea. Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands began to be violated even before Vietnam was reunified in 1975. After the victory in Ban Ma Thuot, the strategic opportunity to liberate South Vietnam has come. Because of the geo-political factor, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries play a very important role in the creation of sustainable stability and peace in the East Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Declaration on Conduct was the result of the joint efforts by the ASEAN countries and China.
