Demanding China withdraw all Haiyang 08 ships from Vietnam's waters

On September 12, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to a reporter's question requesting an update on the Haiyang 08 group of ships, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said that according to Vietnamese authorities, China's Haiyang 08 group of ships continued to seriously violate Vietnam's sovereignty, sovereign rights, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

“Vietnam resolutely opposes the continued serious violations of Vietnam's sovereignty and jurisdiction by the Chinese survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 in its maritime zones as determined in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

Vietnam has also expressed its views on the negative impacts of the Haiyang Dizhi 8 group’s violations on the friendly relations between the two countries, peace, security and stability in the East Sea as well as in the region. For these reasons, Vietnam demands that China immediately stop this serious violation and withdraw all of the above-mentioned vessels from Vietnam’s waters,” said Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang also said: “Regarding China's recent statements related to Vietnam's economic activities in its waters, Vietnam affirms its consistent position that all of Vietnam's maritime economic activities, including oil and gas activities, are carried out in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf that completely belong to Vietnam, determined from the mainland territory determined in accordance with UNCLOS 1982, of which both Vietnam and China are members.”

According to Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea has clearly defined the scope and is the sole legal basis for countries to determine their maritime rights. Countries comply with it, recognized by judicial practices as well as the broad consensus of reputable international lawyers. Therefore, no country can make claims to maritime zones in the East Sea that exceed the geographical and substantive limits stipulated in the 1982 UNCLOS.

Illegal claims that are inconsistent with UNCLOS 1982 cannot be the basis for asserting that disputed or overlapping maritime zones exist. The above-mentioned acts of obstructing Vietnam’s oil and gas activities in its maritime zones are violations of international law and UNCLOS 1982. Vietnam also affirms its stance on the sovereignty of the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos./.