Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam demanded China to immediately end illegal activities in the areas of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, to respect the Southeast Asian country’s sovereignty over the archipelagos and not to carry out any activity that increases tensions and complicates the situation in the region.
The Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang made the request on April 24 in response to reporters’ queries about China’s recent activities in the areas of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.
“Vietnam has sufficient legal foundations and historical evidence proving its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos,” she stressed.
China’s recent activities such as the underwater construction by the ship You Lian Tuo 9, the organisation of a sailboat race in the area of Hoang Sa archipelago, and the installation of new electronic equipment jamming radars on Chu Thap (Fiery Cross) and Vanh Khan (Mischief) Reefs in Truong Sa archipelago have seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos, Hang said.
Such activities also run counter to the agreement on fundamental principals guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China as well as the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC), complicating the situation and being unbeneficial to peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea, she added.-VNA
