Vietnam demands China withdraw ships from its waters
This is the first time the Vietnamese foreign ministry specified the incident after a standoff reportedly broke out on July 3.
The Vietnamese government has officially protested a Chinese survey ship and its escorts against violating Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and demanded China to stop all unlawful activities and withdraw its ships from Vietnamese waters.Over the last several days, the Chinese survey ship, Haiyang Dizhi 8, and its escorts conducted activities in the Southern area of the South China Sea, to which Vietnam refers as the East Sea, that violated Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf as established in the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both Vietnam and China are parties, said Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Le Thi Thu Hang in a latest statement.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo: MOFA
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“This area lies entirely within the Vietnamese waters,” Hang asserted in response to reporters’ request for comments on the remarks made by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Geng Shuang on July 17 regarding the developments in the South China Sea.
When asked about a standoff in the South China Sea between Vietnamese and Chinese ships, Geng Shuang on Wednesday said China hoped Vietnam would respect China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters, and “not take any move that may complicate matters.”
The Vietnamese spokesperson informed that Vietnam has made contacts with China on multiple occasions via different channels, delivered diplomatic note to oppose China’s violations, and staunchly demanded China to stop all unlawful activities and withdraw its ships from Vietnamese waters, and to respect Vietnam’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters. “This is also in the interest of Vietnam – China relations and regional stability and peace.”
Vietnamese authorities at sea have employed a range of appropriate measures to exercise Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in a peaceful and lawful manner to safeguard Vietnamese waters, Hang said.
Reiterating her own remarks made earlier, Hang asserts: “It is Vietnam’s consistent position to resolutely and persistently stand against any act infringing upon Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in Vietnamese waters established in the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea through peaceful means in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea.”
“All countries within and outside of the region share the common interest in maintaining order, peace and security in the East Sea. Therefore, in Vietnam’s view, all relevant parties and the international community should contribute to the joint effort to protect and ensure our common interest,” she stated.
According to a tweet by Ryan Martinson, an assistant professor at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, one hour ago, the Chinese survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 ((Marine Geology 8) continues operations in Vietnam's jurisdictional waters.
South China Morning Post on July 12 cited a tweet by Ryan Martinson as saying that the Haiyang Dizhi 8, escorted by heavily-armed coastguard vessels, entered Vietnam’s waters near the Spratly Islands.
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