Demanding China respect Vietnam's sovereignty and international law

At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 17, 2016, in response to a reporter's question asking for Vietnam's reaction to China's recent activities in Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago, such as sending the 10,000-ton Gulf Star ship to take 300 passengers to Oc Hoa Island; building an airport with a 3,500m runway on Cay Island; reclaiming land in the An Vinh island cluster area..., Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Hai Binh said:

Vietnam once again affirms its indisputable sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

Mr. Le Hai Binh

China’s continued reclamation, expansion, construction, and change of the status quo of the Hoang Sa archipelago and the organization of tourism to the archipelago, despite the concerns of Vietnam and the international community, are serious violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago. These actions not only go against the common perception of the two countries’ senior leaders, violate the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China, negatively affecting bilateral relations; but also violate international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed in 2002 between ASEAN and China, complicating and escalating the situation in the East Sea.

Vietnam resolutely rejects and strongly protests the above-mentioned actions of China, demanding that China immediately cease and not repeat similar actions; respect Vietnam's sovereignty and international law; take practical actions to contribute to the development of Vietnam-China friendly cooperation relations, as well as maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea./.

According to the Communist Party of Vietnam