Vietnamese Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang.

Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang on October 3 repeated Vietnam’s solemn demand that China must immediately stop serious violations and withdraw its survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 and escort vessels from Vietnam’s waters.

Vietnamese competent agencies said China’s survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 and its escort vessels have expanded activities in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, seriously violating Vietnam’s sovereignty and sovereign rights as defined by the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to which both Vietnam and China are signatories.

Vietnam resolutely protests against such activities by the China's survey vessel group and has contacted the Chinese side, Hang told a room of reporters Thursday.

She affirmed that Vietnam determines to protect its sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests in the East Sea through legal measures in line with international law.

Regarding Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang’s responses September 18, Hang said that Vietnam’s positions on serious violation of the Chinese survey vessel group were clear in her press statement on September 12.

China’s so-called “Wan’an Tan” is in fact a low-tide elevation which forms part of the seabed belonging to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined by the provisions of the 1982 UNCLOS, Hang said.

This is completely not a disputed nor overlapped area because China has no legal international grounds to make a claim on the area, she said, noting that the 1982 UNCLOS and trials have affirmed the fact affirmed./.

VNF/VGP