(VOV) - What is happening in the East Sea is extremely serious and Vietnam resolutely demanded that China withdraw oil rig Haiyang 981 and more than 100 ships from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf to create an environment for negotiations. Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, head of Vietnam’s permanent representative mission to the United Nations, was responding to foreign reporters’ questions in New York on Tuesday following China’s illegal placement. Vietnam sent a note to the UN Secretary General, protesting China’s violation of Vietnamese sovereignty. China later also sent a note to the UN Secretary General, asking for circulation of its documents which made unfounded accusations against Vietnam and fabricated the truth in the East Sea.



Asked about China’s accusations that Vietnamese boats intentionally disrupted the rig’s operations and rammed Chinese ships, ambassador Trung explained that the area where China placed its drilling rig was completely inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. Vietnam has only dispatched civil boats to carry out law enforcement tasks; by contrast, China had in fact deployed warships to the area. Vietnam has invited foreign reporters, including Chinese, to make field trips to witness the events at sea. The facts speak for themselves. A number of photographs published by Vietnamese and international reporters show that Chinese ships aggressively fired water cannons at or intentionally sank Vietnamese boats. Trung once again stated that Vietnam has sufficient historical and legal evidence to assert its sovereignty over the area where Haiyang 981 is illegally located. He said Vietnam wants to settle the issue peacefully through dialogue and negotiation.