A Vietnamese naval officer (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam requests that businesses respect the country’ssovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, aswell as its sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction over related watersin the East Sea, said Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang at theministry’s regular press conference in Hanoi on April 8.
Commentingon several foreign brands’ use of maps showing the illegal nine-dash line ontheir Chinese-language websites, Hang stressed that as affirmed many timesbefore, Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal ground to affirmits sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in line with international law, aswell as sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction over relevant waters inthe East Sea as defined in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention onthe Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Everyform of propaganda to spread things that are against historical truth andinternational law is valueless and will not be able to change the truth aboutVietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, as well as the East Seaissue, she said.
About Vietnam’s stance on recent developments in the East Sea and relatedissues, including Chinese vessels’ operation in the Bai Ba Dau (Whitsun Reef)in Vietnam’s Truong Sa, the spokeswoman affirmed that Vietnamese competentauthorities always keep a close watch over developments in the East Sea, and protectand enforce the country’s sovereignty, sovereign right and nationaljurisdiction at sea and in Vietnamese waters in accordance with internationallaw and the 1982 UNCLOS.
She made it clear that peace, stability, cooperation and development in theEast Sea is the common aspiration and goal of countries in the East Sea, in theregion and of the international community. The respect for legal order at seaand the full, consistent, good-will and responsible implementation of the 1982UNCLOS hold significance to achieving such goals.
Vietnam calls on countries to contribute to maintaining peace, stability andcooperation in the East Sea, follow international law and the UNCLOS, seriouslyabide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, especially theobligation to exercise self-restraint, refraining from complicating thesituation, creating a favourable environment for the negotiations on an effectiveand efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea, thus contributing to fosteringtrust, maintaining peace, stability, and promoting international order at sea andsecurity, safety, navigation freedom in the East Sea, she said./.
