Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi has described a
recently-released map of the People’s Republic of China and China
’s 12 th five-year-plan for national oceanic development as totally
valueless.
Nghi made the affirmation at a press
briefing in Hanoi on April 24 while answering reporters’ queries on
Vietnam’s response to the newly-released map and the five-year plan,
which violate Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong
Sa (Spratly), as well as its sovereignty and jurisdiction rights in the
East Sea.
“ Vietnam affirms its indisputable
sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, sovereignty and
jurisdiction rights over the exclusive economic zone and continental
shelf in the East Sea according to the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“ China ’s
circulation of the map and announcement of the aforementioned master
plan seriously violate Vietnam ’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong
Sa and Vietnam ’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights in the East
Sea .”
He added that such actions breach
international law and an agreement on basic principles guiding the
settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China, and are not
in line with the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in
the East Sea (DOC), but raise tensions and complicate the situation in
the East Sea.-VNA