Vietnam opposes any violation of its sovereignty over Hoang Sa, Truong Sa
(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam has sufficient legal and historical evidence proving its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, said deputy spokesperson for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Pham Thu Hang at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday.
 Vietnamese deputy spokesperson Pham Thu Hang (Photo: VNA) |
Answering reporters’ questions about China’s illegal opening of a hotpot restaurant in Phu Lam island off Hoang Sa archipelago, Hang said Vietnam strongly opposes any violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and related rights to this archipelago. Regarding information about a Chinese research vessel operating in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, Hang said Vietnam has sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction over the waters in the East Sea defined by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Regarding the information that the Philippines announced on May 14 that it had placed navigational buoys in the waters of the East Sea, the deputy spokesperson said Vietnam resolutely opposes violations of Vietnam's sovereignty and related rights over Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago. Vietnam requires relevant parties to respect Vietnam's sovereignty,respect international law and the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), make positive contributions to stability in the East Sea, and create a favorable environment for the negotiation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).