(VOVWorld)-A seminar on China’s illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam’s territorial waters from the perspective of international law was held at Hanoi Law University on Tuesday. Speaking at the seminar, experts studying Vietnam’s sea and islands said China’s deployment of  drilling rig Haiyang-981 runs counter to international law, violates Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

A seminar on China’s illegal placement of an oil rig in Vietnam’s territorial waters from the perspective of international law was held at Hanoi Law University

Doctor Nguyen Ba Dien, chairman of the Scientific Research Institute of the Sea and Islands said: “According to the seven big regulations of the United Nations approved in 1970, China has violated and especially in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, China as a permanent member of the UN, China should implement the law completely but not to seriously violating the law as what China is doing now.”

The attendees agreed that the current issues should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and condemned China’s demand that Vietnam withdraw its ships as a precondition to any discussion.  Professor Le Quy Quynh, an expert on sea law said: “The Chinese Foreign Ministry asking Vietnam to pull its vessels out as a precondition for beginning talks on the standoff over the oil rig is very unreasonable. What is unreasonable is that China first violated Vietnam’s jurisdiction and now demands that Vietnam withdraw its ships. China is trying to equalize its violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and international law with Vietnam’s legitimate actions.”