On the afternoon of June 4, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh - Deputy Minister of National Defense, head of the Vietnamese delegation, had a meeting with foreign press on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh answers the press on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 4 - Photo: Q. TRUNG

When asked about the document that China released on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue on June 3, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh said he had not had time to study the document and did not know its specific content.

However, Mr. Vinh said: “I don’t know who distributed this document. But if it were me, I wouldn’t distribute it because this is an open, transparent forum, the world is listening. If you have something to say, go to the forum and say it, don’t distribute leaflets like this.”

According to Tuoi Tre's investigation, this document includes two versions in English and Chinese, providing distorted information that the entire East Sea belongs to China.

The leaflet states that China's islands include the Dongsha Islands, the Xisha Islands (Vietnam's Hoang Sa), the Zhongsha Islands, and the Nansha Islands (Vietnam's Truong Sa). These four archipelagos all form part of China's territory.

Regarding the Truong Sa archipelago under Vietnam's sovereignty, China blatantly claims that some countries around the East Sea have sent troops to invade the islands, leading to the current territorial dispute over the Truong Sa archipelago, and that China is the country that first discovered, named, and exploited the Truong Sa archipelago.

In the leaflet, China also brazenly said that other countries' territorial claims to the Spratly Islands are not in accordance with international law.

Also answering foreign press, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh said all countries need to give their opinions on all security challenges in the region and the world.

“We, Vietnam, also put forward our views. It is not a private issue but a regional and global issue. It is the right and responsibility of all countries,” Mr. Vinh said.

Responding to questions about militarization activities in the East Sea, General Vinh said that all militarization activities in the East Sea by all countries need to be carefully considered because if not restrained, at some point military activities will increase, leading to conflicts, collisions, creating unusual situations that cannot be controlled.

“On the occasion of the Shangri-La Dialogue, we wish to discuss solutions to strengthen bilateral defense with other countries and exchange with them on issues of mutual concern.

There is one thing that all delegations hope for in common: Shangri-La should have a common voice to reduce challenges in the region, bringing peace and stability to all countries," Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh shared.

According to TTO