(VOVworld) – Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh told a press conference in Hanoi on Thursday that Vietnam is determined to protect its national sovereignty and legitimate interests and rights in the East Sea by peaceful means.

He responded to questions about Vietnam’s next steps given China’s repeated acts to cause tension in the East Sea:“As a country directly related to disputes in the East Sea, Vietnam holds its consistent policy of settling them by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Vietnam’s unswerving policy of protecting its national sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests in the East Sea by peaceful measures have contributed to regional peace and welcomed by the international community.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh

Regarding a question on the location status of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)’s oil field in the East Sea open for bidding, the spokesman said Vietnam is studying China’s tendering notice. However, Vietnam opposed any unilateral oil exploitation and exploration activities in waters subject to on-going demarcation negotiation in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf mouth.

At the conference, Binh reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of supporting peace, stability, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons towards the disarmament of those weapons. He made the statement on Thursday while answering reporters’ question about Vietnam’s reaction to the adoption on Wednesday of a UN Security Council resolution to sanction North Korea.

Binh said Vietnam hopes that all parties involved will proactively increase dialogue to find peaceful ways to deal with the Korean Peninsula issues, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region.

As a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam has and will abide by UN Security Council resolutions.