China sends military ships to protect illegal construction in Truong Sa

Vietnamese fishermen fishing around the Truong Sa area said that the Thien Kinh dredger continuously operates day and night, opening channels and spraying sand columns tens of meters high. In addition, China has also sent many military ships to protect this construction.

China illegally built at Tu Nghia reef.

According to Tin Tuc newspaper, the latest images from the scene show that China not only illegally built on Gac Ma island, but also carried out a series of actions to send large-capacity transport ships to build at Tu Nghia reef - a coral reef in Sinh Ton cluster - in Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago.

China has dispatched large-capacity transport ships and dredgers to clear channels, blast sand, and build intensively on Tu Nghia reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago. According to international legal experts, the above actions are vivid evidence clearly demonstrating its plot to monopolize the East Sea.

By illegally placing the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig in Vietnam's waters, brazenly rushing to build a military base, and building artificial islands on Gac Ma Island and Tu Nghia Reef, China has arbitrarily torn up the DOC agreement, in defiance of international law.

Images recorded from the scene show not only the scale of construction, but also vivid evidence of China's brazenness in illegally constructing structures on Tu Nghia reef.

Vietnamese fishermen fishing around this area said that the Thien Kinh dredger continuously operates day and night, opening channels and spraying sand columns tens of meters high. In addition, China has also sent many military ships to protect this construction.

Earlier on June 13, The Philippine Star quoted a confidential report from the Philippine government revealing that China is conducting reclamation activities on five reefs in the Spratly Islands under Vietnam's sovereignty, namely Gac Ma, Chau Vien, Ga Ven, En Dat and Tu Nghia, and did not rule out that Beijing will conduct similar activities on the Cross, Subi and Vanh Khan reefs. Previously, according to Kyodo News, about 200 Filipinos gathered in front of the consular office of the Chinese Embassy in Manila to protest the aggressive intrusion in the East Sea.

In addition, The Philippine Star quoted a senior Philippine officer as saying that the June 8 sports exchange between the Vietnamese and Philippine navies at Song Tu Tay Island was “a great success”, proving that sovereignty disputes can be resolved peacefully and amicably, instead of having to bully each other.

In a related development, Deputy Director of the Border and Islands Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Yi Xianliang affirmed on May 13 that Beijing never sent military forces to the area where the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig was placed in the East Sea.

US officials refuted China's absurd claims.

Mr. Dich blatantly stated: "Vietnam currently has 61 ships in the above area, while the number of Chinese ships is 71, including government ships and auxiliary ships." According to him, the number of times Vietnamese ships rammed Chinese ships in the waters near the Haiyang-981 drilling rig was 1,547 times. This official also presented videos and images of what he called "clash with Vietnam" that occurred on May 2 and 3. However, the evidence that Mr. Dich presented was completely contrary to what happened on the ground in the area where China illegally placed the drilling rig.

Immediately, a senior US official in Washington rejected China's statement as "ridiculous fallacies" and affirmed that Beijing had used its air force, navy and coast guard "to threaten other countries".

According to nguoiduatin.vn