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.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development officially received HAYATO ship, one of three ships from the Japanese Government as part of its non-refundable aid for Vietnam to ensure maritime safety in Hai Phong city on August 5.

The Vietnam People’s Navy held a flag-raising ceremony for the HQ - 184 Hai Phong and HQ - 185 Khanh Hoa submarines at Cam Ranh military port in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on August 1.

More than 800,000 Vietnamese citizens have benefited from an environmental sanitation project which is being implemented in coastal cities of Dong Hoi, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang.

China’s illegal construction work in the East Sea has adverse impacts on peace, security, economy, trade and marine environment, experts stressed at an international seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on July 25.

China’s military drill in the area covering islands and reefs in the northeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago severely violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over the chain of islands, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said at a regular press conference on July 23.

Heavy lift vessel Rolldock Storm carrying the fourth Kilo-submarine named HQ-185 Da Nang entered the Cam Ranh Port in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa on June 30.

​The Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) organised an international workshop on managing East Sea conflict from ASEAN perspective on June 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, ASEAN officials and scholars on the East Sea.

​The Vietnamese Embassy in China is continuing to demand the country unconditionally return a seized Vietnamese fishing vessel, said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh at a regular press conference on June 25.

A Buddhist monk recently offered 400 million VND (about 18,600 USD) for a painting recalling the bloody naval battle in Vietnam’s Gac Ma Island, the highest bid for the picture so far.

Researcher Ho Tan Phan has presented copies of rare Vietnamese royal chronicles to the National Boundary Committee under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam welcomes and supports any constructive, positive and responsible contribution by countries within and outside the region for peace and stability in the East Sea, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh told a regular press conference in Hanoi on June 11.

The working groups on the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tokin and cooperation in less sensitive maritime issues between Vietnam and China convened the seventh round of talks in Hanoi from June 3-4.

National Assembly deputies were discussing amendments to the Maritime Code of Vietnam and to the draft Law on the Elections of Deputies to the NA and elections for People`s Councils.

The Ba Son Shipyard under the General Department of Defence Industry on June 2 handed over two missile ships, designated M3 and M4 to the Vietnam People’s Navy.

An exhibition featuring photos on China’s artificial island-building activity at Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelagos in the East Sea is running in the Republic of Korea (RoK) from May 31 to June 15.

Vietnam demands China to immediately stop the construction currently underway on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said with regard to China’s erection of two lighthouses on Truong Sa islands.

Exhibits affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos are being showcased at an exhibition in central Nghe An province’s Vinh city on May 26.

The central city of Danang will host the fifth East Asian Seas Congress in November this year, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced on May 25.

Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago is an integral territory of Vietnam and its waters have long been the traditional fishing grounds of Vietnamese fishermen, affirmed Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Le Hai Binh.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh has voiced strong protest over China’s announcement of a fishing ban in the East Sea, saying that the act violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and sovereign right and jurisdiction over the waters under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.