Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa, Truong Sa in line with international law: Spokesperson
(VOVWORLD) - A spokesperson for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry has reaffirmed that Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) is in accordance with international law and legitimate rights over its territorial waters established in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
 Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Pham Thu Hang. (Photo: baoquocte.vn)
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Ms. Pham Thu Hang made the statement on Thursday in response to a reporter's question regarding the Philippines' submission of an ECS claim to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Hang said coastal states, as parties to the 1982 UNCLOS, have the right to determine their outer continental shelf boundaries in line with relevant provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS.
However, when submitting their ECS claim, coastal states must respect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of other coastal nations with opposite or adjacent coasts, she said.
Vietnam asserts its full rights and interests under international law, particularly UNCLOS, and stays ready to work with the Philippines to find a solution that is mutually beneficial to both countries, according to Hang.