Maritime claims must be consistent with provisions of UNCLOS 1982
VGP - Viet Nam's consistent position is that all maritime disputes must be resolved by peaceful means, with full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without the use or threat of force, and in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang made the above statement on July 17 in response to a reporter's question regarding July 12, 2025, which marked the 9th anniversary of the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the East Sea arbitration case between the Philippines and China under Annex VII of UNCLOS.
She noted Viet Nam's stance had already been clearly expressed in statements by the ministry’s spokesperson on July 12 in 2016 and 2021, and again on July 15, 2023.
Pham stressed that the relevant parties must respect the rights of other nations and fully comply with their legal obligations under the UNCLOS 1982. She urged them to actively and constructively cooperate to maintain peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight, and uphold order in the East Sea in line with international law.
As both a UNCLOS member state and a littoral country bordering the East Sea, Viet Nam considers the UNCLOS the sole legal basis comprehensively and thoroughly defining the scope of the right to maritime entitlements, she stressed.
The diplomat went on to say that all maritime claims by UNCLOS member states must be consistent with the provisions of the UNCLOS.
Countries must fully respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction of coastal states as established in accordance with the UNCLOS, she emphasized./.
