Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh reaffirmed Vietnam’s resolve todefend its territory and sovereignty in an interview to Christie LuStout, editor of CNN’s News Stream, on May 29.
“We reaffirm thatwe have been very much firm and resolute to defend our territory andsovereignty. We'll continue to do so and take all peaceful measuresunder international law, including the United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea (UNCLOS) to protect and defend our sovereignty,” he said.
Vinhmade the remarks while expressing the country’s strong protest againstChina’s illegal deployment of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 and a largenumber of escort vessels, including warships, deep inside the exclusiveeconomic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf of Vietnam.
Vietnam“will take all peaceful measures under international laws includingUNCLOS,” he said in reply to a question on Vietnam’s legal action now.
Regardinga query on how Vietnam sees China’s claim to the Hoang Sa (Paracel)islands, the Deputy FM affirmed that “the Paracel islands belongs toVietnam. This is historical and legal fact.”
China in 1974 usedmilitary force to take the Paracel, Vinh said, emphasising that “wecannot accept it. So this is in violation of international law and wecannot accept it.”
In response to a question on Vietnam’s ForeignMinister in contact with the Chinese counterpart about this issue andthe tension at the sea, Vinh said “since the illegal deployment of theoil rig by China into the EEZ and continental shelf of Vietnam, we haveconstantly been in contact with China’s side to ask them to get both theoil rig and ships out.”
The Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister of Vietnam have been in contact with China's counterpartsincluding two telephone calls to get the China in order to get the oilrig and ships out of the EEZ and continental shelf of Vietnam, he added.
Lu Stout asked “do you think there will be a breakthrough?”
“We’lltry to do, in talks with Chinese side, to preserve and defend our EEZand continental shelf and ask the Chinese side to get their ships andoil rig out and continue to do so and together we will communicate alsoto the world in order to ask China to get the oil rig and ships out,”Vinh said.
Lu Stout queried “reports out this week of aChinese ship ramming a Vietnamese fishing vessel. This has been seen bymany as a provocative act. Is Vietnam angered by this?”
TheDeputy FM said a Vietnamese fishing boat on May26 was “both rammed andsunk by Chinese ships,” affirming “this is an act of escalating tensionin the region and it is intentional.”
Vietnam has protests thisact and considered it “inhumane”, he said, adding “we request that suchacts in the future must be stopped.”
Lu Stout asked “You call this inhumane. Is China bullying Vietnam at sea?”
Vinhsaid “I think you will observe the occurrence right now in the EEZ andcontinental shelf of Vietnam, there have been escalation of tension andacts of threats with regard to Vietnamese ships and also South China Seaor East Sea maritime security, freedom of navigation in the area. Imust say all these acts happened in the EEZ of Vietnam, in violation ofinternational law including UNCLOS.”.-VNA
“We reaffirm thatwe have been very much firm and resolute to defend our territory andsovereignty. We'll continue to do so and take all peaceful measuresunder international law, including the United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea (UNCLOS) to protect and defend our sovereignty,” he said.
Vinhmade the remarks while expressing the country’s strong protest againstChina’s illegal deployment of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 and a largenumber of escort vessels, including warships, deep inside the exclusiveeconomic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf of Vietnam.
Vietnam“will take all peaceful measures under international laws includingUNCLOS,” he said in reply to a question on Vietnam’s legal action now.
Regardinga query on how Vietnam sees China’s claim to the Hoang Sa (Paracel)islands, the Deputy FM affirmed that “the Paracel islands belongs toVietnam. This is historical and legal fact.”
China in 1974 usedmilitary force to take the Paracel, Vinh said, emphasising that “wecannot accept it. So this is in violation of international law and wecannot accept it.”
In response to a question on Vietnam’s ForeignMinister in contact with the Chinese counterpart about this issue andthe tension at the sea, Vinh said “since the illegal deployment of theoil rig by China into the EEZ and continental shelf of Vietnam, we haveconstantly been in contact with China’s side to ask them to get both theoil rig and ships out.”
The Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister of Vietnam have been in contact with China's counterpartsincluding two telephone calls to get the China in order to get the oilrig and ships out of the EEZ and continental shelf of Vietnam, he added.
Lu Stout asked “do you think there will be a breakthrough?”
“We’lltry to do, in talks with Chinese side, to preserve and defend our EEZand continental shelf and ask the Chinese side to get their ships andoil rig out and continue to do so and together we will communicate alsoto the world in order to ask China to get the oil rig and ships out,”Vinh said.
Lu Stout queried “reports out this week of aChinese ship ramming a Vietnamese fishing vessel. This has been seen bymany as a provocative act. Is Vietnam angered by this?”
TheDeputy FM said a Vietnamese fishing boat on May26 was “both rammed andsunk by Chinese ships,” affirming “this is an act of escalating tensionin the region and it is intentional.”
Vietnam has protests thisact and considered it “inhumane”, he said, adding “we request that suchacts in the future must be stopped.”
Lu Stout asked “You call this inhumane. Is China bullying Vietnam at sea?”
Vinhsaid “I think you will observe the occurrence right now in the EEZ andcontinental shelf of Vietnam, there have been escalation of tension andacts of threats with regard to Vietnamese ships and also South China Seaor East Sea maritime security, freedom of navigation in the area. Imust say all these acts happened in the EEZ of Vietnam, in violation ofinternational law including UNCLOS.”.-VNA
