A Vietnam Coast Guard ship is on mission around the DK1/15 oil rig. Photo: VNA

China’s survey vessel group Haiyang Dizhi 8 returned to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, and they have continued serious violations of Vietnam’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Southeast Asian country’s waters as defined by the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Hang said at a press conference on September 12.

Vietnam had made its point about the negative effects caused by the activities of the Chinese vessel group to the bilateral relations as well as to peace, security and stability in the East Sea and the region, Hang said.

“For those reasons, Vietnam demands China to immediately stop its serious violations and withdraw all of the vessels from Vietnam’s territorial waters,” she stressed.

Regarding China’s recent statements on Vietnam’s economic activities in its territorial waters, the spokeswoman affirmed that Vietnam has conducted all of its maritime economic activities, including oil and gas exploitation, well within the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the provisions of the UNCLOS to which both Vietnam and China are signatories.

She emphasized that the UNCLOS is the sole legal basis for nations to identify their waters. This has been followed by nations and is recognized by both international courts and prestigious international lawyers.

No nation can make claims about waters that go beyond what has been regulated by the UNCLOS, the Spokesperson stressed.

All the illegal claims, which are not in accordance with the UNCLOS, can not constitute the basis for asserting the existence of disputed or overlapping waters. All activities interrupting Vietnam’s oil and gas activities in its waters are violations of international law and the UNCLOS, Hang said.

The Chinese geological survey vessel group returned to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf on August 13, less than a week after leaving Vietnam’s waters.

At a press briefing last month, Hang said this was the serious violation of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf defined by the provisions of the UNCLOS.

Vietnamese competent forces continued deployment of measures to secure the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in line with international law and Vietnam’s law, according to Hang.

With the determination to protect its legitimate rights and interests and to contribute to peace, stability and security in the region and the world, Hang stated that Vietnam always stands ready to settle differences through all peaceful measures in accordance with international law.

She went on to say Vietnam asks relevant parties and the international community to proactively and practically contribute to maintaining order, peace, and security in the region as well as security and freedom of navigation and aviation, and respecting the rule of law in the East Sea in line with the international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS.

The spokeswoman also reaffirmed Vietnam’s stance on its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes./.

VNF/VGP