THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Government News
VN affirms sovereignty over Hoang Sa, Truong Sa
VGP – Viet Nam once again asserts that it has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence affirming its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Le Hai Binh has said.
He made the statement during a regular press conference in Ha Noi on July 14 in reply to reporters’ queries about Vietnam’s stance on China’s July 11 announcement that it had successfully landed military aircraft on airports in Vanh Khan (Mischief) and Xubi (Subi) reefs in Vietnam’s Truong Sa.
Earlier on July 11, the Chinese Transport Ministry declared that it concluded the construction of four lighthouses and began building the fifth on features in Truong Sa archipelago.
Regardless of Viet Nam’s protest and the international community’s concern, these actions by China have seriously violated Viet Nam’s sovereignty. These are illegal and cannot change the truth about Viet Nam’s sovereignty over Truong Sa and Hoang Sa, Binh said.
Viet Nam requests China to immediately end violations of Viet Nam’s sovereignty, seriously abide by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, as well as refrain from actions that complicate the East Sea issue, he stated.
At the conference, the spokesman revealed several external activities in the near future.-VNA