Vietnam protests China’s activities in Hoang Sa area

Vietnam requests China to respect its territorial sovereignty and stop all activities that violate Vietnam’s sovereignty of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi on March 15.

Recently, China continued to carry out activities in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) area, specifically: The China National Offshore Oil Corporation invited bids for 19 lots in the northern East Sea, one nautical mile from the Tree Island of the Hoang Sa Archipelago. On March 2, China’s Coast Guard Ship 11 conducted a live ammunition drill on territorial waters belonging to the Hoang Sa Archipelago.

At the fifth session of the 11^th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on March 7, the Deputy Director of the National Administration of Tourism of China said his agency was cooperating with the authorities of Hainan province to expand tourist activities on the Hoang Sa archipelago.

On March 12, at the “Powerful Nation Forum” of the People’s Network, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China said China will build an archaeological centre in the East Sea and a working station on the Hoang Sa archipelago as part of its 12^th five-year plan.

The Hainan authorities also plan to organize a yacht race from San Ya to the Hoang Sa archipelago on March 28.

In response to China’s actions, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi affirmed that Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos are two indispensable parts of the country’s sovereignty. China’s activities have seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and international law, running counter to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed in 2002 between ASEAN and China, as well as being detrimental to the development of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and China.

(Source: VOV)