Vietnam has full legal grounds and historical evidence to prove its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with international law as stated in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, stated Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang.
China’s recent activities in the East Sea are contrary to international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982), experts highlighted at a conference held at the Russian Academy of Justice (RGUP) on November 1.
The foreign ministers of Australia, the US and Japan have expressed their "serious concern" over "credible reports of disruptive activities in relation to longstanding oil and gas projects" in the East Sea - a coded reference to Chinese vessels harassing Vietnamese ships trying to access key oil rigs.
Foreign ministers attending the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) emphasised the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states.
Experts from the Czech Republic have expressed his concerns about the recent militarisation of China in the East Sea while lauding Vietnam’s balanced and open external policy.
Chinese bombers’ landing and take-off drills on an airfield in Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, which belongs to Vietnam but is occupied by China, are causing deep concerns and facing strong opposition from many countries regionally and globally.
China and other concerned nations should refrain from actions that further militarise the East Sea and parties need to sit down for negotiation via diplomatic channels to resolve the issue, according to an US expert.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has raised objections to China’s militarisation of the East Sea after reports that a Chinese bomber capable of carrying a nuclear warhead had landed in the Paracel archipelago.
The 13th Lodz East Asia Meeting (LEAM) recently in Poland held a discussion on territorial disputes in the East Sea and navigation security in Asia for the first time.
An international workshop on the East Sea was held at the Asia-Africa Institute under Hamburg University in northern Germany, drawing many leading scholars and researchers on Asia, Southeast Asia.
A show highlighting the beauty of Vietnam’s sea and islands took place at the Corvinus University in Budapest of Hungary on April 29, attracting hundreds of participants.
Southeast Asian leaders renewed the resolve to build ASEAN into an example of regional cooperation at the freshly finished 30th ASEAN Summit in Manila, the Philippines, according to ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh.
The Czech online daily Aktualne.cz has run an article on the protest staged by the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic to raise objections to China’s militarisation policy in the East Sea.
About 50 Vietnamese and people from other nations in Switzerland on April 23 protested in Zurich against Chinese violations of Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty and international law in the East Sea.
Politics
