The Hainan Province authorities in China on 6 January officially decided to establish 4 people’s armed forces departments in the so-called Sansha City on Viet Nam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.  In addition, China is now conducting an illegal maritime exercise on the archipelago’s Phu Lam Island.

During his interview with some reporters from local media agencies on Thursday, the Chairman of the Hoang Sa Islands District People’s Committee, Mr Vo Cong Chanh, affirmed that the Hoang Sa archipelago is an integral part of Viet Nam’s territory.  He added that China resorted to military force to illegally occupy the archipelago on 19 January 1974.

Chairman Chanh expressing his strong opposition to China’s actions

Chairman Chanh also remarked that China’s illegal actions on the islands seriously violate Viet Nam’s territory and go against international laws, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).  The Chinese side’s unilateral moves on the archipelago in recent months have seriously threatened security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the Bien Dong (East Sea), as well as the maritime interests of other countries worldwide.  Moreover, these wrongful actions are harming the friendship between countries as well as having a negative impact on the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

The islands district’s leader said he demands that China immediately put an end to its illegal activities on the Hoang Sa archipelago in particular, and in the Bien Dong in general, in order to maintain the bilateral friendship and cooperation between the 2 countries, and also ensure peace in the region.