China’s circulation of a number of diplomatic notes at the United Nations (UN) that raise unreasonable sovereignty claims over Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos as well as maritime claims in the East Sea runs counter to the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an official said on April 23.
Following China’s announcement of the establishment of the so-called “Xisha district” (in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago) and “Nansha district” (in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago) within “Sansha city”, international experts have condemned the move, saying it breaks international law.
Vietnam supports the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the UN Security Council (UNSC) to strengthen their cooperation in line with the UN Charter, said Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
Vietnam closely follows the situation in the Middle East and welcomes all efforts to re-start the Middle East peace process, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on January 31.
The Foreign Ministry, in coordination with the Hanoi People’s Committee, held a gathering on the occasion of the Vietnamese traditional New Year for the diplomatic corps in the capital city on January 14.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on January 10 stressed ASEAN’s central role and described this as an essential driver of development in the whole Indo-Pacific region.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired an open debate of the UN Security Council on January 9 that focused on adhering to the UN Charter to maintain international peace and security.
Vietnam and China held the 12th round of negotiations of the working group on the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and the 9th round of talks of the working group for consultation on cooperation for mutual development at sea in Beijing on December 25 and 26.
Foreign ministers of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries convened a plenary session on sustainable connectivity between Asia and Europe on December 16 as part of their 14th meeting in Madrid, Spain.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should exert more efforts to enhance internal integrity so as to flexibly cope with external challenges and impact, Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich said on November 17.
It is necessary to maintain and respect international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in the settlement of disputes in the East Sea, Swiss lawyer Pierre Schifferli has said.
Complying with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and promoting the ASEAN’s central role are a policy choice of Vietnam in settling disputes in the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam), said a local official.
A Vietnamese delegation has emphasised the importance of multilateralism at the 58th session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) recently held in Dar es Salaam capital of Tanzania.
Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Tong Thi Phong met with First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Serbia Ivica Dacic and attended the closing ceremony of the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-141) in Belgrade on October 17.
China’s deployment of survey vessel group Haiyang Dizhi-8 to Tu Chinh reef (Vanguard Bank) in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has violated international law, Associate Prof. Ryan Martinson of the US Naval War College said in an article recently published on the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s m.newsprime.co.kr website.
Vietnamese Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Tong Thi Phong proposed measures to promote respect for international law while addressing a plenum of the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-141) on October 15.
Many Lao newspapers carried stories and photos on their front pages describing the official visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith from October 1-3 as a significant contribution to the sound friendship and special solidarity between the two nations.
The Economic Times of India on September 30 published an article backing Vietnam and opposing China’s illegal activities in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Politics
