Defend the sovereignty

The annual “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers) ceremony took place in An Vinh communal house, Ly Son island district, the central province of Quang Ngai on April 22.

Vietnam and China have agreed to step up their cooperation in less sensitive maritime issues during the eighth round of talks between working groups from the two countries, which was held in Qingdao, a coastal city in China’s Shandong province.

Overseas Vietnamese in Switzerland and the Switzerland-Vietnam Friendship Association held an exhibition and a forum on Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea in Geneva on April 16.

China’s recent artificial island building and militarization of facilities in the East Sea have alarmed the international community and ASEAN countries in particular.

On April 14, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh made the statement in response to reporters’ query on Vietnam’s reaction to the G7 Foreign Ministers’ statement that expressed concerns about the situation in the East Seas, during the ministry’s regular news conference in Hanoi.

China’s reclamation of islands in the East Sea could destroy coral reefs and damage fisheries in the region, and breaches international law on environmental protection, says a report to the US Congress.

On April 14, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh resolutely rejects and demands that China immediately end its encroachment of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa, withdraw its jet fighters from this area and not to repeat similar acts. At the mean time requesting Beijing to act responsibly in the region.

Appreciating the UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond`s visit to Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh trusts that the visit will contribute to consolidating and further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.

ASEAN should express unified voice and be accountable to the strategic security issues in the region, for peace, stability and development cooperation in the region.

On April 7, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh made the statement at a Foreign Ministry regular press briefing in Hanoi that Vietnam resolutely protests and asks China to cancel its drilling plan and withdraw drilling rig HD 981 from this area as well as not to take unilateral actions to complicate the situation and sustain peace and stability in the East Sea.

Vietnam requested China to cancel its oil drilling plan and promptly remove its Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig out of the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin whose delineation is under negotiation, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

​A traditional ceremony commemorating sailors of Hoang Sa (Paracel) Flotilla, took place in An Vinh communal temple, Ly Son island district, central Quang Ngai province.

On March 31, Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang made the statement in reply to reporters’ queries on Vietnam’s reaction to China sending its oil drilling rig Hai Duong 943 to operate in the waters off the Tonkin Gulf at the Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference in Hanoi.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh stressed that Taiwan’s launch of a media tour of Ba Binh island in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago seriously violated Vietnam`s sovereignty.

Hanoi municipal Party Committee raised about 280 million VND (12,560 USD) for the “Vi Truong Sa than yeu” (For beloved Truong Sa) fund.

Outstanding research works on the East Sea in 2015 were honoured by the Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS) of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in Hanoi on March 21.

Australia and Singapore have reiterated their commitment to the rights of states to freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, amidst rising tension in the region caused by China’s unilateral acts.

The East Sea issue was one of the main topics discussed at an international conference held in New Delhi, India on March 18.

Lighthouses on Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago guide ships at night and confirm Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty.

​The Korea Times of the Republic of Korea has recently run an article citing regulations stipulated in international law to prove that the U-shaped line claimed by China in the East Sea is not China’s baseline.