Vietnam continues to mull the timing of its international lawsuit against China in order to maximize the suit’s impact on Vietnam’s territorial protection, spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Hai Binh at a press briefing on Thursday.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered relevant agencies to prepare documents for legal proceedings against China this week for its illegal placement of a drilling rig in Vietnamese waters, Binh said.
The lawsuit represents another “peaceful and civilized” attempt to pursue Vietnam’s sovereignty according to the UN Charter, he added.
Vietnam has full legal and historical evidence of its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly islands, he said.
‘Interested’ in Japan’s end to pacifism
Binh said Vietnam was “interested” in the Japanese cabinet’s recent removal of a longstanding ban on Japanese troops’ engagement in overseas combat, which would allow its armed forces to help close allies if they come under attack.
It hopes that Japan, a country that plays a major role in the region and the world, will actively contribute to maintaining peace, cooperation and development in the region, he said.
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida is scheduled to visit Vietnam in the coming time to discuss international and regional issues of mutual concern, he said.
The International community has called for peace and stability in the East Sea (AKA the South China Sea) and called on China to cease its aggression and violations of international law, Binh said.