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Chinese provocation in Vietnam’s waters under fire
Vietnam on May 7 strongly protested against Chinese vessels’ provocative act in its territorial waters, injuring several crew members of the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance force and damaging their ships.
China deployed about 80 vessels of different kinds at a time, including military ships and patrol boats, to escort its oil rig DH-981 to operate in oil and gas Lot 143 on Vietnam's continental shelf. Chinese aircraft has even flown dozens of sorties over the area.
Ngo Ngoc Thu, deputy commander of the Vietnam Maritime Police, on May 7 briefed foreign correspondents, including those from NHK, AP and AFAP, on Chinese vessels’ act in the region.
He said Chinese vessels intentionally collided with Vietnamese boats operating in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, injuring several crew members and causing property damage.
Asked if Vietnam would follow the Philippines’ example, Thu said Vietnam does not rule out the possibility of bringing the case to the UN Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
At the press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh stressed the Chinese acts violated Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the country's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The China Maritime Safety Administration on May 3 saying that drilling rig HD-981 is operating in a location of 15 o 29’58’’ north latitude and 111 o 12’06’’ east longitude from May 2 to August 15.
The operation location of the drilling rig is totally within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, about 120 nautical miles from its coast.
Speaking on the phone with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi on May 6, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also said that the move seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and its sovereign right and jurisdiction over the country's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
He added that the act also negatively impacted political trust and cooperation between the two countries and hurt the Vietnamese people.
Vietnam cannot accept and resolutely opposes China's act and demands that it completely withdraw the drilling rig and escort vessels from the area and hold talks to settle differences around the issue, Minh said.
