Japan is deeply concerned about China’s repeated incursion into the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam) and Japanese-administered Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a telephone call on April 5.
Canada opposes recent actions taken by China in the East Sea, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Peter MacArthur said in a tweet, noting that such actions escalate tensions and undermine regional stability and the rules-based international order.
International maritime cooperation has been expressed through coordination between countries at different levels - bilaterally, regionally, and globally. It is an indispensable need to protect this important “source of life” through the harmonisation of activities at sea and resolving inherent transboundary problems in seas and oceans, especially environmental issues.
Many countries in the world have showed serious concerns over China’s recent deployment of over 200 ships around Sinh Ton island cluster in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and requested the country to immediately bring these vessels out of the area and end all provocations.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Philippine counterpart Hermogenes Esperon had phone talks on March 31 during which they expressed their shared concerns over Chinese activities in the South China Sea (known as the East Sea in Vietnam), the White House said.
Decree No. 11/2021/ND-CP officially replaced Decree No. 51/2014/ND-CP dated May 21, 2014 of the Government regulating the allocation of certain marine areas to organisations and individuals exploiting and using marine resources from March 30, 2021.
Vietnam was the first country to have established sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (known as Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spartly) archipelagos when they were unclaimed territories. This is shown in many historical documents as well as ancient Vietnamese and foreign maps.
China must end its violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said in response to a reporter’s question about Vietnam’s position regarding Chinese ships operating at the Bai Ba Dau (Whitsun Reef) in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.
Vietnam will develop economic-defence zones to consolidate the defence-security situation in strategic localities, particularly border, sea and island areas, helping to shape up a strong belt to protect the nation.
The sea and marine economy play an increasingly important role today in Vietnam’s socio-economic development and also national security. In order to manage and exploit the advantageous resources of the sea, the 12th Party Central Committee issued Resolution 36 on the strategy for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s marine economy by 2030 and vision to 2045.
Seventy-three organisations and agencies in Hanoi donated more than 12 billion VND (over half a million USD) to the Fund for Vietnam’s Sea and Islands on March 19.
Repairs to two plants turning sea water into fresh water on An Binh Island in Ly Son district of central Quang Ngai province have been completed, the Doosan Heavy Industries Vietnam Company (Doosan Vina) said on March 19.
Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Phuong Nam, led a delegation of the Ministry of National Defence to attend the 18th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM-18), held via videoconference on March 18 under the chair of Brunei.
The third ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) workshop on enhancing cooperation in maritime law enforcement was jointly held on March 16 and 17 by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the European Commission.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a directive on the attraction of social resources for performing socio-economic development tasks in land, sea, and island border areas in tandem with firmly safeguarding the national sovereignty and improving people’s living standards.
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 March comes, people across Vietnam turn their hearts to Gac Ma Reef of Truong Sa archipelago, a sacred territorial part of the Fatherland, to pay tribute to officers and soldiers who heroically fought until their last breath for the country’s maritime sovereignty.
World
