(VOVWORLD) - The Vanguard Bank, which China is trying to turn into a disputed zone, belongs entirely to Vietnam, experts said at a symposium called “The Vanguard Bank and International Law” in Hanoi on Sunday.
 “The Vanguard Bank and International Law” symposium, Hanoi, October 6, 2019 |
Researchers say China’s claim of sovereignty over Vanguard Bank is groundless.
“When speaking to international media, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China's survey ship is operating in their Vanguard Bank in the Spratly Islands. These words are wrong. First, in terms of politics, China has no legal foundation to claim sovereignty over Spratly. The 2016 Court of Arbitration ruled against China’s sovereignty claim over the islands," said Major General Le Van Cuong.
"Second, in terms of geography and geology, the Vanguard Bank is separate from Spratly. It is located 600 kilometers from Spratly and there is a deep channel between them,” Cuong said.
According to researchers, international legal mechanisms should be upheld to deal with China’s actions. Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei and former Director of the East Sea Institute of the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy, said: “International laws, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, are an important basis for protecting Vietnam’s waters, sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and legitimate rights."
"The Vanguard Bank belongs to Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone. There is absolutely no dispute and China has no legal foundation for demanding their claims in this area,” he said.
Vietnam should continue to bring China’s actions in the Vanguard Bank to the UN Security Council, experts suggested.