Vietnam welcomes ASEAN and China towards COC

On the afternoon of November 24, in Hanoi, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to a reporter's question about Vietnam's reaction to the fact that at the recent 19th ASEAN Summit, China expressed its willingness to join ASEAN in discussing the Code of Conduct (COC), Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said: "Peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation and safety in the East Sea are the common interests of the region and all countries; relevant parties need to resolve disputes by peaceful means, in compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Vietnam welcomes the agreement of ASEAN and China to continue to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC)".

Commenting on the news in the Chinese press on November 22, 2011, saying that the Department of Transport of Hainan Province, China, had approved a Chinese company to open a tourist route to the Paracel Islands, the spokesperson said: “Vietnam affirms its undisputed sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Any foreign activity in these two areas without Vietnam’s consent is a violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, contrary to the spirit of the DOC.”

(According to VNA)