Vietnam has called on the US and China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea after a recent confrontation of the two countries' warships.

This week, US defense officials have confirmed that the USS Decatur came dangerously close to a Chinese destroyer during a recent exercise in the South China Sea. The US destroyer then was forced to perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision.
 

Vietnam's Foreign Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

“Vietnam requests related countries to contribute positively and practically to the maintenance of peace and stability as well as respect international laws, legal obligation at seas and oceans”,Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang on Thursday said in response to the press over the moves.
Hang also reiterated that Vietnam asserts its sovereignty over the Paracel (Hoang Sa) and Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands in accordance with international laws.
As a member of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Vietnam respects the rights to freedom of navigation and overflight of other countries in the East Sea in accordance with international laws, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, she added.