Vietnam objects to China’s placement of light buoys in Truong Sa

Deputy Spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang (Source: VNA)

Deputy Spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang has voiced the country’s objection to the China Maritime Safety Administration's placement of three light buoys on some entities in Truong Sa (Spratly) of Vietnam.

Replying to reporters’ question about the placement by the China Maritime Safety Administration under the Chinese Ministry of Transport, Hang stressed that Vietnam has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence testifying to its sovereignty over Truong Sa as well as Hoang Sa (Paracel) in line with international law.

The installation of the light buoys on entities in Truong Sa without Vietnam’s permission is an infringement of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Truong Sa, so the move is invalid, she stated.

Vietnam demands the parties concerned not take any actions that may complicate the situation but respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and maintain an environment of peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea, the official added./.

VNA