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.

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.

The musical shows the moving picture of the marines, who always hold their rifles firmly, ready to fulfill the mission of protecting the sacred sea and the islands of the Motherland.

Vietnamese expats in Fukuoka and Hiroshima cities of Japan and peace-loving Japanese people went on a march to ask China to respect the recent ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands, relating to disputes in the East Sea.

​The Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Institute (ICAV) on July 27 issued a statement in support of the recent ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands, related to territorial disputes in the East Sea.

On July 28, the fringe of the 14th National Assembly’s first session, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh talks to reporters about the outcome of the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers` Meeting, including statement on the East Sea.

On July 28, Vietnam`s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh declared that all activities in the Paracels, Spratlys archipelago without the consent of Vietnam are illegal.

On July 26, the 36th Talking ASEAN Dialogue held in the Indonesian Capital of Jakarta to post The Hague tribunal’s ruling on the East Sea dispute.

The countries attending the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related events stressed that: The maintenance of peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea is common interests and responsibility of countries.

On July 25, within the framework of the 49 th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has restated Vietnam`s attitude on protecting peace, security, stability, maritime navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

The ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the Netherlands, on the Philippines’s lawsuit against China’s claims in the East Sea is a proper judgment and in conformity with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 49) took place in Laos’s capital city of Vientiane on July 24 with the participation of 10 Foreign Ministers from ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secretary General.

More than 200 delegates are expected to discuss legal issues relating to the rulings of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at an international workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on July 23.

​The India - Vietnam Solidarity Committee on July 20 issued a statement supporting the ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands, on the case the Philippines brought against China’s claims in the East Sea.

Japanese Professor Kurihara Hirohide, an expert in Vietnam-China relations at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies’ Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, identified that the recent ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the Philippines’s lawsuit against China concerning disputes in the East Sea plays a historical significance.

The Ministry of Information and Communications opened an exhibition displaying maps and materials confirming “Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos belong to Vietnam – historic and legal evidence” in southern Dong Nai province on July 19.

Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands in the East Sea.

On July 18, the Vietnam News Agency was empowered to declare refuting untruthful information by the Chinese press concerning the East Sea issue which was discussed during the meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Ulan Bator, Mongolia on July 14.

The Pacific Partnership programme 2016 (PP16) was launched in the central city of Da Nang on July 15 with the participation of the US hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) and Japanese naval ship JSDS Shimokita (LST-4002) to help Vietnam enhancing its disaster response operations in the region.

Japan, Philippines, Laos have called ​on China to respect the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) ruling that rejected Beijing’s nine-dash line claims in the East Sea, as part of their participation at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit.

On July 15, a conference on the East Sea issue held in scholars, experts and representatives of diplomatic corps New Delhi, India.

On the occasion of accompanying Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to attend the 11th ASEM in Mongolia from July 15-17, on July 14 afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh received High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

On July 14, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc had bilateral meetings with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.