Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh has demanded China immediately remove its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 out of Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and sit down for negotiations to maintain peace, stability and friendship between the two nations.
Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh has demanded China immediately remove its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 out of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and sit down for negotiations to maintain peace, stability and friendship between the two nations.
Thanh made the request in his keynote speech delivered on the second working day of the 13th Asia Security Summit known as Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31.
Minister Thanh stated, “Common aspiration of countries in the world, including Vietnam is always eager to maintain a regional environment of peace, stability, cooperation and development and to prevent conflicts and wars."
According to the Minister, to manage the risks that can lead to conflicts, the countries need to have a general perception on the promotion of international responsibility, in particular the role and responsibilities of powers.
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| Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh giving a speech at the 13th Asia Security Summit |
They also should be responsible for maintaining an environment of peace, stability and cooperation for mutual development. The countries need to comply with international law, the UN Charter, respect independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity without using force, or threat to use force to resolve disputes. They should enhance cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit regardless of big or small country, Thanh said.
In his speech, the Vietnamese senior military official mentioned China’s unilateral and illegal placement of its floating oil rig 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf that have aroused the Vietnamese people’s indignation and caused concern to regional countries and the international community.
Thanh reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of resolving the East Sea issue by peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), ASEAN’s six-point principle on the East Sea towards the formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China.
The same day, Minister Thanh and his delegation had bilateral meetings with US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and UK Defense Secretary Philip Hammond.
(Source:VOV)
