China demanded to respect Viet Nam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa archipelago

The Spokeswoman made the above statement during a press briefing in Ha Noi on June 23 in response to a reporter’s query about Viet Nam’s reaction to the announcement from the Department for Ocean Affairs of Hainan province (China) about a June 19 drill in the waters within 12 nautical miles from Phu Lam (Woody) island belonging to Viet Nam’s Hoang Sa archipelago.

The military drill “goes against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), complicates the situation, is not conducive to the ongoing negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), and does not help maintain a peaceful, stable, and cooperative environment in the East Sea,” Hang said.

Le highlighted that Viet Nam’s stance which has been clearly stated in the diplomatic note No.22/HC-2020 dated March 30, 2020 circulated in the United Nations, in which Viet Nam affirms its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos in accordance with international law, as well as its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the waters as provided by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.