Vietnam opposes Chinese vessel's operation near Vanguard Bank

"The Vanguard Bank is a part of Vietnam’s continental shelf, established in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," said spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang in a Thursday press meet.

She was responding to inquiries about China sending its coast guard vessel to the area recently.

Hang said Vietnam’s position on the Vanguard Bank was consistent and had been reiterated on several occasions.

"Vietnam strongly opposes all acts of violations towards its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Vietnamese waters as established by international law, particularly the UNCLOS," Hang said.

She added that Vietnam is and will be protecting its legitimate interests over its seas through peaceful methods, in accordance with international law.

Data from vessel tracking website Marine Traffic showed that the coast guard patrol vessel 5901, belonging to China, on Feb. 20 turned on its Automatic Identification System near Vietnam’s Vanguard Bank, and was present in the area for several days.

The 5901 vessel is one of the largest belonging to the Chinese Coast Guard, spanning 165 m.

In May last year, China also sent several vessels to the Vanguard Bank area.

Vietnam demanded China remove the vessels from Vietnamese waters, and they left in early June.