Hanoi, Oct. 7 -- The 18th international conference on the East Sea opened in Hanoi on October 7, bringing together nearly 50 speakers and around 300 delegates, including policymakers, diplomats, experts and scholars from more than 30 countries and territories. In his opening remarks, Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said that after 17 years, the conference has developed into one of the region's most reputable forums on maritime issues, with the East Sea as a common concern. According to Son, the three concepts in this year's theme - Contestation, Connectivity and Cooperation - are closely interconnected amid rapid changes in maritime security, driven by risks of disruption to transport routes, climate ch...