US House of Representatives demands China stop violating Vietnam's sovereignty in the East Sea
The statement of the Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee stated that China's recent aggression in the East Sea is a worrying demonstration of a country openly ignoring international law.
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| US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (center) in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP/VNA |
According to a VNA correspondent in Washington, on July 26, Congressman Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement on China's interference in waters controlled by Vietnam.
The statement said China's recent aggression in the East Sea is a worrying demonstration of a country openly ignoring international law.
According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China's actions are a violation of Vietnam's sovereignty and its legitimate rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Last week, when there was information about Chinese oil and gas exploration ships entering Vietnam's EEZ, Hanoi repeatedly asked China to withdraw its ships from Vietnam's EEZ, but China deliberately ignored it.
This disruptive behavior is a threat to Vietnam and evidence of China's willingness to bully its neighbors.
According to Mr. Eliot L. Engel, such incidents demonstrate China's blatant disregard for international law and diplomacy.
Previously, on his personal Twitter page, US Congressman Mike Gallagher of the Republican Party also said that he supported Vietnam and US regional partners in condemning China's actions.
The international community must continue to maintain a rules-based order and international law.
He called on China to “immediately withdraw all vessels from the territorial waters of its neighbors and end these illegal bullying tactics.”