Vietnam has strongly opposed China’s formation of two districts on the former’s two archipelagos in the East Sea, and demanded Beijing cancel such an illegal decision, stating it is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty.

A view of Woody islands, January 25, 2018. Credit: CSIS/AMTI

The protest and demand was made after news that China established the so-called Xisha district on Woody Island of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, and Nansha district on the Fiery Cross Reef of Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, in the so-called Sansha city.

The East Sea is internationally known as the South China Sea.

“Vietnam has firmly affirmed many times that it has sufficient historical evidence and legal basis to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos,” Spokesperson of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement late on April 19.

She asserted Vietnam’s stance on strongly rejecting the establishment of the so-called Sansha city and related moves as they are invalid and unrecognized. “[The moves] are not favorable for the friendship among nations and further complicate the situation in the East Sea, the region and the world.”

“Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, abolish its wrongful decisions related to the moves and not repeat similar acts in the future,” the spokesperson asserted.

Vietnam last month sent a diplomatic note to the United Nations to protest China's unfounded sovereignty claims over the East Sea.