The Gac Ma Veterans Liaison Committee and the Ba Don Art and Literature Association have held a ceremony in Quang Trach district, Quang Binh province, to commemorate 64 martyrs who fought to protect the Gạc Ma Reef, part of the Trường Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, on March 14, 1988.
Whenever the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago is mentioned, many often think of rough seas and islands battered by tropical storms and fierce winds but also featuring coral reefs and various creatures and plants.
“The State of Vietnam was the first state in history to exercise its sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) since they were ownerless pieces of land, at least since the 17th century. Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence that has legal value to testify to its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa,” an expert has said.
Over the last 40 years, the Military Hospital 175 has been delivering trusted healthcare services for not only soldiers on Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago but also islanders and fishermen working in the waters around the islands, said the hospital's Director Major General Nguyen Hong Son.
Physical exercise and sport playing is an indispensable part of the life of soldiers based on Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, helping them to improve their health conditions and easing their homesick.
The traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) has arrived early for soldiers and islanders on Truong Sa district as ships are crossing rough seas to carry Tet gifts and supplies from all parts of the country to the locality.
Defence foreign policy has now become more critical than ever, as it plays an important role in creating a strategic enabling environment for both national defence and construction, especially in the maritime space.
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.
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.
An exhibition on the ASEAN Community and Vietnam’s seas and islands was opened in the border district of Bao Lac, Cao Bang province on July 24 by the provincial Department of Information and Communications, the Nhan Dan newspaper reported.
More than 100,000 national flags have been presented to fishermen in 14 coastal localities and people living along land borders in three provinces of Ha Giang, Cao Bang, and Quang Nam.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)'s Hanoi chapter on July 2 presented 38 billion VND (1,640 USD) to the Vietnam People’s Navy High Command to help build a multipurpose cultural house in Truong Sa (Spratly) island district, Khanh Hoa province.
Countries need to act responsibly in the East Sea, not complicate the situation, and contribute to preserving peace and security in the waters, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang has said.
Ship Khanh Hoa 01, coded HQ-561, is a mobile hospital at sea which helps fishermen in Truong Sa (Spratly) island district keep their peace of mind and work on protecting the national sovereignty over seas and islands.
Foreign experts have condemned China’s recent actions in the East Sea, saying its moves have escalated tensions in the region and infringed upon international law.
China’s announcement of the establishment of the so-called “Xisha district” (Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago) and “Nansha district” (Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago) within the new “Sansha city” will escalate tensions in the region, a Russian researcher on Vietnamese studies has said.
Vietnam requests China to respect its sovereignty and take no actions that escalate tensions and complicate the situation, affecting peace and stability in the East Sea and the region, as well as efforts of countries in negotiations of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said.
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