(VOVworld)- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, in an interview with Bloomberg on Saturday, spoke about the socio-economic situation in Vietnam in the first five months of this year and China’s illegal deployment of its oil rig Haiyang 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

In regard to Vietnam’s socio-economic development, Dung said the Vietnamese economy grew by more than 5.4% in 2013. The first five months of 2014 witnessed good progress toward the set targets. The macro-economy remained stable. Inflation was well kept under control. Foreign reserve increased significantly. Exports surged by approximately 16% and the GDP growth for 2014 is expected to hit 5.8%. He said Vietnam will continue to open up its markets, including finance and banking under roadmaps that match the demands of international integration and specific circumstances of the Vietnamese economy.

In regard to China’s illegal deployment of its oil rig Haiyang 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, Dung said that China’s recent acts have seriously infringed upon Vietnam’s sovereignty, seriously violated international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and seriously threatened regional peace and stability. He said Vietnam is determined to defend its sovereignty and demands China withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s sovereign waters. Vietnam also calls on other countries to ask China to abide by international law and withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s waters. In response to question about how Vietnam responds to China’s actions, the Vietnamese Prime Minister said that Vietnam has and will do its utmost to defend the sovereignty over its waters by peaceful means because independence and sovereignty are sacred and inviolable. Dung said Viet Nam will resort to every peaceful mean to defend the sacred sovereignty over its islands and waters. Legal action in conformity with international law is also a peaceful measure and Vietnamese leaders are considering this option. In response to the question about how the region and the world will be influenced if China’s illegal placement of its oil rig in Vietnam’s sovereign waters is unsolved, Dung said approximately two-thirds of the global trade in goods are shipped via the East Sea, a single irresponsible act triggering conflict will immediately interrupt this huge cargo flow. As a result, not only economies of this region but even the whole world will be hurt by its unforeseeable consequences. In regard to Vietnam-China trade and economic ties, Dung said to date, generally speaking, the bilateral cooperation in economy trade, investment and tourism still takes place as normal. China’s infringement on the Vietnamese waters has to certain extent impacted some sectors of the Vietnamese economy. Vietnam have adopted several appropriate solutions in response.