The Labour Party of Mexico (PT) has expressed support to Vietnam’s stance on using peaceful measures to deal with China’s illegal installation of oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 in Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

Together with the Mexico – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, PT also reiterated its friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam.

Both sides shared the common stance that the Vietnamese people know better than anyone the value of peace, and deserve to live and prosper in a peaceful environment.

Meanwhile, the Mexican Party of Democratic Revolution (PRD) has urged the Vietnamese and Chinese governments to address the dispute via political negotiations in line with international law.

The appeal is part of the party’s statement on the East Sea issue that PRD Secretary of External Relations and Immigration Julio Cesar Tinoco Oros handed over to the Vietnamese embassy on May 29, in which it expressed hope that the United Nations will act as a voice of moderation and mediation, while an international tribunal acts as a final judge.

It also expressed hope that Mexico would play a more active role in sustaining world peace in the future.

At the beginning of May 2014, China illegally dispatched the rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 miles deep into Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

China’s armed vessels aggressively fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

On May 26, Chinese ship 11209 sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel while it was operating normally in its traditional fishing ground near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

On May 27, China moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 22 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 36 seconds east longitude. The new location is 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago and 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the old location, still completely within Vietnam ’s continental shelf. With the move, China has kept on violating Vietnam ’s sovereign right and jurisdiction.-VNA