China must stop serious violations, withdraw vessels from VN’s waters

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang at the press briefing in Ha Noi on October 3, 2019

Vietnamese competent agencies said China’s survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 and its escort vessels have expanded activities in Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, seriously violating Viet Nam’s sovereignty and sovereign rights as defined by the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to which both Viet Nam and China are signatories.

Viet Nam resolutely protests against such activities by the China's survey vessel group and has contacted the Chinese side, Hang told a room of reporters Thursday.

She affirmed that Viet Nam determines to protect its sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests in the East Sea through legal measures in line with international law.

Regarding Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang’s responses on September 18, Hang said that Viet Nam’s positions on serious violation of the Chinese survey vessel group were clear in her press statement on September 12.

China’s so-called “Wan’an Tan” is, in fact, a low-tide elevation which forms part of the seabed belonging to Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined by the provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS, Hang said.

This is totally not a disputed or overlapping area, thus China has no ground to issue claims to the area, Hang affirmed./.

By Quang Minh