Defend the sovereignty

China`s tourism activities on the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago are a serious violation of Viet Nam`s sovereignty, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said today.

Viet Nam has appealed to countries within the region and beyond to join ASEAN`s efforts in promoting the common interests of peace, stability, and maritime security, safety, and freedom.

Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Le Hai Binh, said the China visit by Politburo member Le Hong Anh as Special Envoy of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, was fruitful in several ways.

Nearly 200 exhibits confirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes are on display at a month-long exhibition that opened in the Mekong delta city of Can Tho on August 26.

VietNamNet’s columnist Viet Lam talks with Prof. James Dale Bindenagel, former US Ambassador to Germany and now a thinker with the Boston Global Forum, and Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, Deputy Director of the Institute for the East Sea Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about China’s rise and Vietnam’s choices. Below is the last part of the talk.

A textbook from 1853 contains a map demonstrating that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belong to Viet Nam.

VietNamNet columnist Viet Lam spoke with Prof. James Dale Bindenagel, former US Ambassador to Germany, and now a thinker at the Boston Global Forum, and Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, Deputy Director of the Institute for the East Sea Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about China’s rise and Vietnam’s choices. Below is the second part of the talk.

Vietnam vehemently opposes China’s inhuman actions against Vietnamese fishing vessels operating legally in Vietnam’s waters.

Vietnam supports every effort of the Iraqi government and the international community to stabilize the situation in Iraq, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

The Chinese are using "the trick of puns" to "trap" Vietnam by saying that their operations in Hoang Sa Archipelago (Paracel Islands) took place within the territorial waters and the contiguous zone of this archipelago, Dr. Tran Cong Truc, former head of the National Border Committee, said in an interview with Dan Tri online.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh has slammed China’s recent decision to publish a book on its unjustifiable ‘nine-dotted line’ claim in the East Sea, declaring it illegal and null and void.

VietNamNet’s columnist Viet Lam talks with Prof. James Dale Bindenagel, former US Ambassador to Germany and now with the US-based Boston Global Forum, and Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, Deputy Director of the Institute for the East Sea Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about China’s rise and Vietnam’s choices. Below is the full content of the talk.

Vietnam is facing major responsibility that history has entrusted: It is to use international law to maintain peace in a vital area of the world.

In a Joint Communiqué released in Myanmar on August 10, ASEAN Foreign Ministers expressed serious concern over recent tensions in the East Sea and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, maritime security as well as freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the sea.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has expressed deep concern about recent East Sea tensions, especially Chinese placement of its oil platform Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s waters, and said more efforts are needed to prevent similar actions in the future.

Toys related to the sea and islands have proven popular to Vietnamese consumers in the run up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, which will fall next month.

The Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) worked hard to protect the nation, producing many documents that confirm Viet Nam`s sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel archipelagoes. Today these can be found in Hue, the former royal capital.

ASEAN countries will expound on how best to ensure peace and stability in the region at the 47th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM-47) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from August 8-10.

Vietnam has repeatedly asserted its undisputable sovereignty over the two archipelagoes-Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly).

Recent tensions in the East Sea after China’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf were the topic of a seminar recently held by the Asian Commission of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI) in Buenos Aires.