Vietnam determined to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity

(Baonghean) -At this time, fishermen in Vietnam are receiving a lot of support and encouragement to continue to stick to the sea, not to submit to the threats and aggression of China. At the same time, abroad, efforts to denounce China's wrongdoings, refute China's baseless arguments, and support Vietnam are increasingly expanding. Most recently, on the morning of May 29, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US, Nguyen Quoc Cuong, gave a live interview on a popular television program of the US television channel CNN. The information that Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong gave in this interview attracted the attention of American public opinion. On CNN's website, many readers sent feedback in support of Vietnam, pointing out China's absurdity and demanding that China stop its wrongdoings in the East Sea.

Ship DNa-90152 and the fishing fleet of Da Nang fishermen were surrounded by a Chinese iron ship before being sunk. Photo: Internet

Vietnam determined to protect sovereignty

During the interview, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong affirmed that China's deployment of the drilling rig and many escort ships into Vietnam's waters has seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty and sovereign rights, violated international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the commitments of Chinese leaders to ASEAN when China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in 2002. Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong emphasized that Vietnam has no other choice but to respond peacefully but resolutely.

Refuting the statement of Cui Tiankai, Chinese Ambassador to the US, that China only has one drilling rig while Vietnam has more than 30 drilling rigs, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong stated that China is trying to create a new reality, change the status quo, turn undisputed areas into disputed areas and this is unacceptable. Vietnam's oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities have been conducted for decades in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Many foreign companies have participated in these projects; if these projects were in disputed areas, foreign enterprises would certainly not have participated. Meanwhile, in 2012, China invited international bids for oil and gas blocks in Vietnam's continental shelf but no foreign companies participated.

During the interview, reporter Amanpour expressed concern about the Chinese oil rig incident and the recent sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat by a Chinese ship. Ms. Amanpour said that China is showing its strength in territorial disputes with smaller neighboring countries, from Japan, the Philippines to Vietnam, and this attitude of China is reflected in the statement of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in 2010 when he said that China is a big country and other countries are small countries. Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong stated that such opinions cannot be justified because in international relations and international law, all countries are equal, there is no such thing as big countries or small countries.

Regarding Vietnam's foreign policy, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong emphasized that Vietnam always pursues an independent foreign policy and wants to have good relations with China, the US and other countries but does not accept coercion or threats. He affirmed that the Vietnamese people are determined to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity and no country should underestimate this determination. 100% of the Vietnamese people, whether in Vietnam, the US or any other country, believe that nothing is more precious than independence and freedom.

Previously, on May 28, Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Nguyen Xuan Thuy also published an article in Jakarta Post, the most widely read newspaper in Indonesia. In this article, Ambassador Nguyen Xuan Thuy reiterated the historical and legal evidence of Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. Some readers left messages thanking Ambassador Nguyen Xuan Thuy for clarifying the arguments, and at the same time opposing China's ambition with the so-called "nine-dash line".

President Obama: Instability in the East Sea, if not resolved, will threaten US allies

In a speech on the new US foreign policy at the West Point Military Academy on May 28, President Obama warned that if the instability in the world, including the East Sea, is not resolved, it could threaten US allies and eventually force the US to deploy troops. Mr. Obama also affirmed that "the US supports ASEAN countries in the process of negotiating a Code of Conduct (COC) with China in maritime sovereignty disputes in the East Sea, and is taking action to resolve this dispute through international law."

In his speech, President Obama also called on the US Congress to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, arguing that the passage by the US legislature would make it easier for the US administration to call on China to act in accordance with this Convention. President Obama said: “We cannot attempt to resolve the problems in the South China Sea when we cannot ensure that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea will be ratified by the US Senate, despite the repeated assertions by our top military leaders that the treaty advances America’s national security interests. That is not leadership, that is retreat. That is not strength, that is weakness.”

Not only President Obama, Congressman Forbes is also very concerned about the new developments in the East Sea, especially China's continuous escalation in the maritime dispute with Vietnam, sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat. Congressman Forbes emphasized that China's neighboring countries, from Japan, the Philippines to Vietnam, are all expecting a clear signal of the US's determination to maintain the status quo in the region, where freedom of navigation is respected, disputes are controlled peacefully and the military balance continues to tilt towards the US and its allies.

Vietnam considers new strategy to deal with China

On May 28, Japan's Diplomat published an article commenting on Vietnam's strategy to deal with China, mentioning the possibility that Vietnam is considering a new strategy. The article exposed China's tricks in bringing the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig into Vietnam's waters and using ships to harass Vietnamese ships. The article stated that these actions demonstrate China's determination to change the status quo in the region by forcing Vietnamese Coast Guard and Fisheries Surveillance ships to leave Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. To carry out this plot, China used a "wait and see" strategy against Vietnam, using ships twice to four times larger than Vietnamese ships to ram Vietnamese ships in order to cause significant damage, destroy communication equipment and antennas, and force Vietnamese ships to return to port for repairs.

Faced with this plot of China, Vietnam is persistently pursuing peaceful measures, maintaining its presence in the area around the Haiyang 981 drilling rig, requesting the establishment of a hotline, persistently dialogue with China, and persuading the international community. However, China still lacks goodwill and does not cooperate with Vietnam.

Specifically, according to this article, in the new strategy, Vietnam will consider legal actions against China, including proactively suing China or supporting the Philippines' lawsuit against China at the International Court of Arbitration. At the same time, Vietnam will also upgrade its relations with two US allies, Japan and the Philippines. Every move of Vietnam in this new strategy will be very transparent to minimize any miscalculations by China.

Quynh - Khanh - Nga