All countries share common interests, responsibilities in East Sea

VGP – All countries and the international community share common interests and responsibilities in maintaining peace and stability, ensuring freedom of overflights and navigation, upholding the rule of law, and respecting sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction as defined by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

July 25, 2019 6:09 PM GMT+7

Le Thi Thu Hang, Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the above statement at a press conference on Thursday regarding recent activities of Chinese survey ship, Haiyang Dizhi 8, and its escorts in Viet Nam’s Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf.

Hang went on to say that Viet Nam welcomes and stands ready to work with other countries and the international community to achieve the aforesaid goal for peace, stability, cooperation and development of all countries in the region and the world.

As reported earlier, the Chinese survey ship, Haiyang Dizhi 8, and its escorts have conducted activities in the Southern area of the East Sea that violated Viet Nam’s Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf as established in the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea, to which Viet Nam and China are party. This area lies entirely within the Vietnamese waters.

Viet Nam has repeatedly affirmed its consistent position to resolutely and persistently stand against any act infringing upon Viet Nam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in Vietnamese waters established in the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea through peaceful means in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea.

Viet Nam has made contacts with China on multiple occasions via different channels, delivered diplomatic note to oppose China’s violations, and staunchly demanded China immediately withdraw its ships from Vietnamese waters./.

By Huong Giang