Viet Nam resolvedly and consistently safeguards its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the East Sea as defined in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) through peaceful means based on international law, the Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 25.

The Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang (Photo: VNA)

Mrs Hang made the affirmation while responding to a reporter’s query regarding Chinese geological survey vessel group Haiyang Dizhi 8’s recent activities violating Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the south of the East Sea, which fully belongs to Viet Nam in line with the 1982 UNCLOS, to which both Viet Nam and China are members.

Viet Nam have contacted the Chinese side for many times via different channels, handed over diplomatic notes to protest China’s violations and demanded China to immediately withdraw all vessels from Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone.

Competent forces of Viet Nam have carried out proper measures, she said, adding that  maintaining peace and stability as well as ensuring freedom of aviation and navigation, obeying the law and respecting sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of nations as stipulated in the 1982 UNCLOS are the common interests and responsibilities of countries and the international community.

“Viet Nam welcomes and stands ready to join efforts with countries and the international community to realise the above-said target for peace, stability, cooperation and development of all nations in the region and the world,” the spokeswoman stressed.

(Source: VNA)