Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Hanoi, Hang said: "First, we affirm that Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos are inseparable territories of Vietnam. All activities taking place in these two archipelagos without Vietnam’s permission are violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty and invalid, and goes against peace and stability in the East Sea. Vietnam strongly opposes these activities."

Earlier, Chinese media reported that Beijing deployed warships and fighters to the facilities that China illegally built in Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago.