CATEGORIES

© Copyright 2004; Hanoitimes - Economic and Urban Newspaper;

The tribune of Hanoi People’s Committee

Publication Permit: 29/GP-CBC

Editor - in - Chief: Nguyen Thanh Loi

Managing Editor: Ta Thu Giang

Email : thugiang@hanoitimes.vn

Head Office: 21 Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi

Branch Office: 221 Tran Phu Street, Ha Dong District, Hanoi

70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Defend the sovereignty
Latest move in South China Sea: Vietnam strongly protests China's live-fired drills
Linh Pham 00:50, 2019/03/29
International analysts say Beijing`s latest move marks a new expansionary phase of populating remote features.
Vietnam has lodged a protest against China after the giant neighbor held live-fired exercises and announced plans to build a new island city and logistics base within Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the South China Sea. 
 
Vietnamese Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo: MOFA
Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo: MOFA
The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has made a written protest sent through the diplomatic channel, the ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press conference on March 28. 

Chinese drills on March 22-24 and the building plans on Vietnam’s Woody Island, Tree and Drummond Islets in Hoang Sa seriously violate Vietnamese sovereignty, according to MOFA.

Hang reiterated that Vietnam’s jurisdiction over the two island groups is undeniable, proved through historical evidences. 

Hanoi urged Beijing to stop the activities and ensure no recurrence in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos to avoid escalating tensions in the region, Hang stated. 
Chinese expansionism 
 
Illustrative photo
Illustrative photo
Chinese construction in the contested international waterway is not new with its recent large-scale land reclamation and island-building. But analysts say the island city plan marks a new expansionary phase of populating remote features, according to Asiatimes.

Security analysts assess the scheme as a further step in Beijing’s evolving multi-phased plan to declare a South China Sea exclusion zone, including an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) that would effectively turn the sea into China’s internal waters.

Beijing has turned the Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi reefs in Spratly into fully fledged islands, on which it has installed a number of military and civilian facilities.

China’s recent deployment of advanced weapons systems to specific features have raised concerns about freedom of navigation and overflight, signaling a great power conflict with the US.

China currently controls Hoang Sa after it violently seized the islands in the hands of South Vietnam in January 1974. 

At present, Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea through the self-claimed nine-dash line. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague made an invalid judgment over the claim in a lawsuit lodged by the Philippines. 

China unilaterally took control over the majority of the island groups and showed its expansionism by continuous building of military structures in the islands. 

Beijing has chased away fishing boats operating in the archipelagos and violently attacked Vietnamese fishermen when they did fishing within Vietnam’s territorial waters.  
Comments
Other news
21:18, 2024/04/30
Vietnamese people flock to Dien Bien Phu to commemorate resounding victory
Visitors travel to Dien Bien to honor those who gave their lives to defend their country's independence and show gratitude for the peace they currently enjoy.
07:36, 2023/10/27
“Grey zone” activities cast a shadow over cooperation and peaceful prospects in East Sea
Grey zone activities augment the risk of confrontation, destabilize the governance of regional laws and orders, and undermine international laws.
22:51, 2023/09/21
Vietnam becomes one of first nations to sign High Seas Treaty
Signing the agreement signaled that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community.
17:41, 2023/07/07
BlackPink concert threatened with cancellation over sovereignty issue
BlackPink's concert may be ruined after Vietnamese netizens found out that the organizer, iME Entertainment Group Asia, displays the nine-dash line on its website.
19:03, 2023/05/18
Vietnam opposes China’s violations in East Sea
Vietnam said it has the legal basis and evidence to prove its sovereignty over islands in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).
17:53, 2023/05/04
Issuing items with former South Vietnamese flag inappropriate for Vietnam-Australia relations: MoFA
The issuance of items in Australia sporting the flag of the former South Vietnamese regime drew criticism from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.