China illegally sends Y-8 transport aircraft to Fiery Cross Reef

A Chinese navy Y-8 transport aircraft blatantly landed on an illegally built runway on Cross Reef, in Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago, to take three Chinese workers to the hospital.

A Y-8 aircraft illegally landed on Fiery Cross Reef to take three sick workers back to Sanya. Photo: ChinaNews

According toChina News,Yesterday, a Chinese navy Y-8 aircraft with the registration number 9271 brazenly flew to the Cross Reef after receiving orders to take three sick workers to Sanya City, Hainan Island for treatment. Before that, mThis plane was on a mission believed to be patrolling the East Sea.At about 1:50 p.m. the same day, the plane landed at Phoenix Airport in Sanya.

Military forums ofChinasaid, runwaythis countryIllegal construction at Cross Reef can accommodate the take-off of civil aircraft, fighter aircraft and large transport aircraft, meeting the needs of emergency response and resupply of equipment on this reef.

In early April, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China Fan Changlong illegally inspected the reefs that China had occupied and illegally converted into artificial islands in Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago to learn about the progress of the construction projects.

In early January, China repeatedly tested landings on the runway on the artificial island it illegally built on Fiery Cross Reef. In response to China illegally sending aircraft to Fiery Cross Reef,Representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi and handed over a diplomatic note of protest.

Vietnam believes that China's actions seriously violate Vietnam's sovereignty over the Truong Sa archipelago, going against the common perception of the two countries' senior leaders, the Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China, and the spirit of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

Vietnam demands that China immediately cease and not repeat similar actions, and take practical and concrete actions to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

The runway on Cross Reef is 3,000 meters long and is one of three runways that Beijing has illegally built. Since 2014, China has illegally reclaimed and built at least 7 reefs in Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago./.

According to VNE