The East Sea is a semi-closed expanse of water abutting seven countries - Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Singapore. It is not only crucial for their development but also a strategic link in several international maritime routes. The sea holds several strategic benefits that are eyed by global powers.
The Vietnamese people have left their footprints on the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands since ancient times. Historical evidence proves the country’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos, especially through ancient bibliographies.
Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at the Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference on December 3.
The East Sea plays a vital role in Vietnam’s defence, security, and economy. The Vietnamese Party and State have issued important policies on East Sea issues, to protect the country’s independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, maintain a peaceful environment, and ensure security, social order, and safety for national construction and defence.
The disputes in the East Sea (South China Sea) need to be resolved by the concerned parties, with cooperation of the international community as well as the region, said a Vietnamese expert.
Some Vietnamese airlines have decided to reschedule flights to/from the central region on November 14 and 15 as airports there will be closed due to Storm Vamco.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong has asked localities and competent agencies to undertake a sweeping response to Storm Vamco, which entered the East Sea on the morning of November 12 and has been erratic and unpredictable.
Storm Goni is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression by 1am on November 6, with its centre on the sea off the coast of the south-central localities from Quang Ngai to Phu Yen, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
Goni, the 10th storm to enter the East Sea this year, is dangerous both on the mainland and at sea, with vessels operating in the affected zones bearing high risks from gusts, said Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Mai Van Khiem.
Goni, the 10th storm to reach the East Sea this year, is forecast to make landfall in the central region, which was hit by a number of devastating storms and floods in October.
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on November 2 asked authorised agencies and coastal localities to immediately direct vessels at sea to move to safe shelter and to evacuate people from aquatic farms at sea and at-risk areas to avoid the worst of Typhoon Goni.
An exhibition featuring historical and legal evidence on Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos opened in the central province of Binh Thuan on October 27.
Storm Saudel, the eighth to hit the East Sea so far this year, is moving west-northwest with a speed of about 10km per hour and is forecast to gain strength, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
The National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Control has alerted coastal localities and relevant ministries and agencies about a new storm which is moving towards the East Sea, especially when the central region is still struggling with large-scale flooding.
Diverse documents in different historical periods from Vietnam, the West, and China prove that since the 17th century, Vietnam has owned and practiced its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos in an actual, constant, and peaceful manner.
Vietnam strongly protests the establishment of the so-called Sansha city in Phu Lam Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and related activities as they seriously violate Vietnam’s sovereignty, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said on October 15.
Society
XIII National Congress of Communist Party of Vietnam
