Vietnam Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement on March 28 at one of the ministry’s regular press conferences.

She reiterated that “Vietnam has sufficient legal foundation and historical evidence testifying to its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos in accordance with international law.”
China’s conducting of live-fire drills in Hoang Sa from March 22-24 and its plans to build the islands of Phu Lam, Cay, and Duy Mong in the Vietnamese archipelago into cities and strategic logistics service bases has “seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over this archipelago; run counter to the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China; violated the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); complicated the situation in a way that is unfavorable for the current negotiations between China and ASEAN on a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) as well as the maintenance of a peaceful, stable, and cooperative environment in the East Sea,” Hang said.
“Vietnam demands that China stop and not repeat similar activities, respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, respect the common perceptions reached by the two countries’ senior leaders as well as international law, and cease activities escalating tensions or complicating the situation in the region,” she emphasised.
Hang added that the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had handed over a diplomatic note opposing these activities by China.