Deputy Prime Minister named the group of Chinese ships violating Vietnam's sovereignty

The 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-52) opened yesterday morning in Thailand. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the meeting.

Speaking here, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the situation in the East Sea is complicated, including unilateral actions such as militarization, increased military exercises, especially the Chinese survey ship HD-8 escorted by coast guard and militia ships violating Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, conducting illegal survey activities.

The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that these actions seriously violate Vietnam's sovereignty and jurisdiction under the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. More seriously, this is a development following large-scale reclamation activities and militarization of disputed structures at sea. These developments erode trust, increase tensions and directly affect peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, violate the DOC and go against the commitment to maintain a favorable environment for COC negotiations.

He called on ASEAN to maintain solidarity and a common voice, reaffirm its principles and commitments to peace and stability, call for restraint, and avoid unilateral actions that undermine the process of regional dialogue and cooperation, hinder the legitimate economic activities of coastal countries; and make efforts to build an effective and substantive COC.

Frankly talk to China

Yesterday afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, along with ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, attended the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The ASEAN and Chinese Foreign Ministers had a frank discussion on recent developments in the region, including the situation in the East Sea. While actively acknowledging the progress in the COC negotiations, many countries stressed the importance of promoting trust, enhancing confidence building, and ensuring peace, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea.

ASEAN Ministers emphasized the need to uphold and comply with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, seriously implement the DOC and aim to complete an effective and efficient COC.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh shared the common assessment of ASEAN countries on the significance and strategic importance of ASEAN-China relations, affirming that he will actively coordinate with ASEAN countries to promote the partnership and cooperation between the two sides to become more in-depth and substantive.

Regarding the situation in the East Sea, the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged the progress in COC negotiations but also expressed deep concern about developments on the ground, including the activities of Chinese ship HD-08 in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Such actions, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, seriously threaten the legitimate rights and interests of coastal countries, erode trust, increase tensions, and are not beneficial to peace and stability in the region.

The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed ASEAN's principled stance on the importance of enhancing trust, non-militarization, self-restraint, and avoiding activities that increase tensions and complicate the situation; strictly complying with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS; and promptly completing an effective, substantive, and internationally-compliant COC.

Also yesterday afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended the ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The Deputy Prime Minister shared concerns about the complicated developments on the ground in the East Sea, including unilateral actions that erode trust and threaten peace, and reaffirmed ASEAN's agreed principles.

The countries acknowledged Vietnam's concerns and agreed on the need to uphold and comply with international law, exercise restraint, and avoid actions that increase tensions, complicate the situation, and are not beneficial to efforts for dialogue and trust building. They also supported ASEAN's principled stance and role in contributing to maintaining peace, security and stability in the East Sea.