Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi has described arecently-released map of the People’s Republic of China and China’s 12th five-year-plan for national oceanic development as totallyvalueless.
Nghi made the affirmation in Hanoi on April 24 while answering reporters’ queries onVietnam’s response to the newly-released map and the five-year plan,which violate Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and TruongSa (Spratly), as well as its sovereignty and jurisdiction rights in theEast Sea.
“Vietnam affirms its indisputablesovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, sovereignty andjurisdiction rights over the exclusive economic zone and continentalshelf in the East Sea according to the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea.
“China’scirculation of the map and announcement of the aforementioned masterplan seriously violate Vietnam ’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and TruongSa and Vietnam ’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights in the EastSea.”
He added that such actions breachinternational law and an agreement on basic principles guiding thesettlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China, and are notin line with the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties inthe East Sea (DOC), but raise tensions and complicate the situation inthe East Sea.-VNA