Businesses working in Vietnam must comply with the native law, Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang of Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said following the posting of China-claimed nine-dash line on the websites of some international fashion brands, including H&M.

H&M faces massive boycott in Vietnam after its violations. Photo: Thanh Nien

“Vietnam requests that businesses to respect Vietnamese sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) and sovereignty rights and jurisdiction over some waters in the East Sea [referring to the South China Sea],” Hang said at the press conference on April 8 in answering to a question on the rampant use of Beijing’s unilateral map by several global fashion brands, including H&M and Chanel in their Chinese version.

She affirmed that Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal basis to assert its sovereignty over the two island archipelagos in conformity with international law.

“All forms of propaganda and content dissemination that go against historical facts and international law are invalid and cannot change the fact of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos,” Hang said in a statement.

Burberry posts nine-dash line on its Chinese version. Photo: Thanh Nien

The incident happened on April 3 when H&M posted the illegal map on its website to flatter Beijing. The move immediately triggered indignation among Vietnamese netizens. Hashtags against this Swedish fashion brand went viral, causing a wave of boycott to this brand, which entered Vietnam in 2017.

Few days after the incident, Fado, the 7th largest e-commerce platform in Vietnam, stopped selling H&M products.

“Nine-dash line” is China’s unilaterally declared map in the Eat Sea where Beijing’s claim encircles as much as 90% of the contested waters.

In 2016, the tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) gave a verdict claiming that China has no legal basis or historic claim on the nine-dash line. China rejected the ruling, despite stating that all nations should “respect international laws.”