Vietnam says will defend sovereignty in its waters with determination

By Anh Ngoc   July 16, 2019 | 06:08 am PT
Vietnam says will defend sovereignty in its waters with determination
An aerial view of Vietnam's Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. Photo by Reuters/Erik De Castro.
Vietnam will fight with peaceful measures against sovereignty infringement in the East Sea, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

"Vietnam holds sovereignty and jurisdiction over areas in the East Sea as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, signed in 1982. Therefore, all activities of other countries in Vietnam’s waters must comply with the convention and Vietnam’s laws," Le Thi Thu Hang, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, said in a press release, referring to recent developments in the waterway, known internationally as the South China Sea.

Hang said all activities by foreign countries in Vietnamese waters without Vietnam's permission are worthless and a violation of the nation’s waters, international laws and the U.N.’s convention.

She said Vietnam's consistent policy is to resolutely fight any infringement acts with peaceful measures.

The country in recent times has implemented such measures to solve problems that occurred in its waters, has fought for respect of its legal rights and interest, without taking any actions to complicate the situation, Hang said.

Vietnamese maritime forces have been exercising their sovereignty and jurisdiction rights peacefully and legally to protect the nation’s territory, she added.

 
 
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