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

WORDS ON THE STREET 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
19:52, 2025/01/19
President and spouse join overseas Vietnamese celebrating tradition ahead of Tet
The traditional carp release ceremony, a ritual marking the transition from the old year to the new, is an important part of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Vietnam.
17:01, 2025/01/02
Eight Vietnamese ready for UN peacekeeping
Vietnam continues to demonstrate its active participation in the pursuit of world peace by sending eight officers to peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic and South Sudan.
18:15, 2024/12/19
Highlights of Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024
A display of defense innovations at the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024.
20:04, 2024/12/03
Vietnamese Pho continues to spread its international reach
Pho has followed Vietnamese people around the globe as a traditional dish loved by many foreigners, contributing to honoring the culinary culture of the “S-shaped country”.
17:10, 2024/10/25
Hanoi students honored for creative logo celebrating German-Vietnamese ties
The red, yellow and black logo designed by two students from Hanoi has won the logo design competition to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Germany and Vietnam.
10:44, 2024/10/06
Vietnam condemns violence by Chinese authorities in Hoang Sa
Vietnam expresses its discontent and vehement objection to the brutal actions of Chinese law enforcement authorities in the Hoang Sa archipelago, which have resulted in Vietnamese fishermen being injured, their lives threatened and their property damaged.