Vietnam demands that China cease military exercises in the South China Sea.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that China's conducting military exercises in the Paracel Islands constitutes a serious violation of Vietnam's sovereignty.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh. Photo: Army Newspaper

According to an announcement by the China Maritime Safety Administration on July 3, 2016, China will conduct military exercises from July 5-11 covering the Paracel Islands of Vietnam. This action by China contradicts the common understanding of the high-level leaders of the two countries, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh stated today.

Mr. Bình emphasized that China's military exercises violate international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

"Vietnam strongly protests and demands that China respect Vietnam's sovereignty, act responsibly, immediately cease and refrain from actions that threaten maritime security and safety in the South China Sea or escalate tensions in the region," Mr. Binh said.

In the same announcement, Beijing stated that from July 5-11, ships were prohibited from entering the waters around the Paracel Islands. The exercise took place just before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, was scheduled to announce its ruling on July 12 regarding the Philippines' lawsuit challenging China's so-called "nine-dash line" claim of sovereignty in the South China Sea.

China stated that it was not participating in the lawsuit and did not recognize the court's ruling. Beijing regularly conducts military exercises in the South China Sea, where China has overlapping territorial claims with several neighboring countries.

According to VNE