The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs on April 18 announced that the State Council of China has recently approved the establishment of the Xisha and Nansha districts under Sansha city, Hainan province. The Xisha administration will be based in Woody Island, of the Paracel while the Nansha administration will be placed in the Fiery Cross Reef of the Spratly.

This action constitutes a serious violation of international law, especially a clear infringement of Vietnam’s indisputable sovereignty and sovereign rights over the two archipelagoes in South China Sea (Vietnam calls the South China Sea is the East Sea - BienDong)..

The Fiery Cross Reef is one of the seven marine features in Vietnam’s Spratly archipelago where China has illegally built artificial islands and constructed various civilian and military structures.

China has vowed not to militarise the islands, but the action runs counter to what it has already pledged.