The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs today handed over a diplomatic note to a representative of the Chinese Embassy to protest China's illegal deployment of aircraft to Cross Reef, part of Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago.

Mr. Le Hai Binh, spokesman for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: Quy Doan

According to a statement from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China today conducted a test flight to the airport it illegally built on Cross Reef in Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago.

Before the incident, a representative of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with a representative of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi and handed over a diplomatic note protesting the country's actions.

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hai Binh also made a statement, stating that China's actions seriously violated 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).

The action also affects peace and stability in the East Sea, reduces political trust between the two countries, and negatively impacts the neighborly relationship and good feelings between the two peoples, Mr. Binh said.

"Vietnam resolutely opposes China's above-mentioned actions and demands that China immediately cease and not repeat similar actions and take practical and specific actions to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea," Mr. Binh said in the statement.

According to VNE