Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh spoke on the phone with ChineseState Councillor Yang Jiechi on the afternoon of May 6 on China’sdrilling rig HYSY-981 and its ships operating in Vietnam’s waters.
Duringthe talks, the Deputy PM, who is also the Vietnamese Foreign Minister,stressed that China’s unilateral bringing of the rig and a large numberof vessels, including military ships, to operate in oil and gas Lot 143on Vietnam’s continental shelf since May 1is illegal and runs counter tointernational law and practice. He said that the move had seriouslyviolated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoand its sovereign right and jurisdiction over the country’s exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf.
He added that the act alsonegatively impacts political trust and cooperation between the twocountries and hurts the Vietnamese people.
Vietnam cannot acceptbut resolutely opposes China’s act, and demands that it completelywithdraw the drilling rig and escort vessels from the area and holdtalks to settle differences around the issue, Minh said.
Heaffirmed that Vietnam has full legal and historical evidence attestingits sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and the Truong Sa (Spratly)archipelagos and the sovereign right and jurisdiction over the country’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance withregulations in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Vietnam will take all suitable and necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, he added.
Minhdeclared that Vietnam always patiently shows willingness tosatisfactorily solve differences through talks, dialogues and peacefulmeasures following the common perceptions of the two countries’high-ranking leaders. He added that Vietnam always follows the agreementon fundamental principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea inline with regulations and realities of international law, especially theUNCLOS, preventing the problem from damaging the political trust andcooperation between the two sides.
Earlier on May 4, DeputyForeign Minister and head of the Vietnamese Government negotiationdelegation on border and territory Ho Xuan Son discussed the issue overthe phone with his Chinese counterpart Liu Zhenmin.
The same day,representatives from the Foreign Ministry met representatives of theChinese Embassy in Hanoi and handed over a ministerial diplomatic noteto the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The note affirmed that theactivities of China’s drilling rig HYSY-981 and vessels seriouslyinfringed Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction overVietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, exclusive economic zone and continentalshelf. It also seriously violated agreements reached by the twocountries’ leaders and went against the spirit and wording of theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and relatedregulations in international law.
The note demanded that China“immediately withdraw the drilling rig, vessels, equipment and personnelfrom Lot 143 in Vietnam’s continental shelf and prevent the recurrenceof similar acts”.
In conclusion, the note affirmed that Vietnamholds its friendship, cooperation and comprehensive strategiccooperative partnership with China in high esteem and is thereforewilling to peacefully settle all the disputes and differences at seabetween the two sides. It is prepared to do this through bilateralnegotiation mechanisms on the basis of internal law, the UNCLOS and theagreement on the fundamental principles guiding the settlement of issuesat sea between Vietnam and China.-VNA
Duringthe talks, the Deputy PM, who is also the Vietnamese Foreign Minister,stressed that China’s unilateral bringing of the rig and a large numberof vessels, including military ships, to operate in oil and gas Lot 143on Vietnam’s continental shelf since May 1is illegal and runs counter tointernational law and practice. He said that the move had seriouslyviolated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoand its sovereign right and jurisdiction over the country’s exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf.
He added that the act alsonegatively impacts political trust and cooperation between the twocountries and hurts the Vietnamese people.
Vietnam cannot acceptbut resolutely opposes China’s act, and demands that it completelywithdraw the drilling rig and escort vessels from the area and holdtalks to settle differences around the issue, Minh said.
Heaffirmed that Vietnam has full legal and historical evidence attestingits sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and the Truong Sa (Spratly)archipelagos and the sovereign right and jurisdiction over the country’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance withregulations in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Vietnam will take all suitable and necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, he added.
Minhdeclared that Vietnam always patiently shows willingness tosatisfactorily solve differences through talks, dialogues and peacefulmeasures following the common perceptions of the two countries’high-ranking leaders. He added that Vietnam always follows the agreementon fundamental principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea inline with regulations and realities of international law, especially theUNCLOS, preventing the problem from damaging the political trust andcooperation between the two sides.
Earlier on May 4, DeputyForeign Minister and head of the Vietnamese Government negotiationdelegation on border and territory Ho Xuan Son discussed the issue overthe phone with his Chinese counterpart Liu Zhenmin.
The same day,representatives from the Foreign Ministry met representatives of theChinese Embassy in Hanoi and handed over a ministerial diplomatic noteto the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The note affirmed that theactivities of China’s drilling rig HYSY-981 and vessels seriouslyinfringed Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction overVietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, exclusive economic zone and continentalshelf. It also seriously violated agreements reached by the twocountries’ leaders and went against the spirit and wording of theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and relatedregulations in international law.
The note demanded that China“immediately withdraw the drilling rig, vessels, equipment and personnelfrom Lot 143 in Vietnam’s continental shelf and prevent the recurrenceof similar acts”.
In conclusion, the note affirmed that Vietnamholds its friendship, cooperation and comprehensive strategiccooperative partnership with China in high esteem and is thereforewilling to peacefully settle all the disputes and differences at seabetween the two sides. It is prepared to do this through bilateralnegotiation mechanisms on the basis of internal law, the UNCLOS and theagreement on the fundamental principles guiding the settlement of issuesat sea between Vietnam and China.-VNA
