VN tells China to halt island intrusion - Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs

HA NOI (VNS) — Viet Nam demanded that China stop construction currently under way in the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said.

China has begun building two lighthouses on the Truong Sa islands. During a regular press conference yesterday, Binh stressed that Viet Nam had sufficient legal and historical evidence to prove its sovereignty over the archipelagos.

The construction project violates Viet Nam’s sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), which ASEAN member states and China signed in 2002.

Viet Nam asked China to adhere to internationally recognised principles such as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS) and the DOC, and restrain actions that complicate the East Sea situation.

On Tuesday, China unveiled its first white military strategy paper, which includes a provision to protect its buildings on artificial islands in the Truong Sa archipelago.

Binh emphasised that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a key regional stakeholder, China needed to respect the sovereignty rights and jurisdictions of the involved countries; comply with international law; and contribute responsibly and constructively to maintaining regional peace, stability, and security.