Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam adamantly opposes and rejectsChina’s unilateral ban on fishing in the East Sea from May 1 to August 16,Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told the media at a regular pressconference on May 4.

She elaborated that “Vietnam has sufficientlegal foundation and historical evidence testifying to its sovereignty overHoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago as well as the legitimate rights over Vietnam’ssea areas defined as in line with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS).”

China’s ban violated Vietnam’s sovereignty overHoang Sa archipelago as well as Vietnam’s rights and legitimate interests inits sea areas. That action also infringed international law, including the 1982UNCLOS and relevant international legal documents, and ran counter to thespirit and wording of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea(DOC) signed by ASEAN and China in 2002.

The fishing ban neither suits the developmenttrend in the two countries’ relations nor benefits peace and stability in theregion, Hang stressed.

In response to a question about the East Seaissue in the Chairman’s Statement of the 30th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines,the spokeswoman said the statement highlighted ASEAN’s consistent commonviewpoint on the East Sea issue.

It reaffirmed that all countries are responsiblefor maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation andover-flight in and above the East Sea. They must exercise self-restraint, notthreaten or threaten to use force, fully respect legal and diplomaticprocesses, peacefully resolve disputes by peaceful means on the basis ofinternational law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, fully implement the DOC, and worktowards a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea, Hang noted.

She also said “Maintaining peace, stability,security and safety of navigation and over-flight in and above the East Sea isthe interest and also a common responsibility of all countries both inside andoutside of the region,” when replying to queries on Chinese-US ties andrelations between China and some regional countries.

The diplomat stressed that countries need to together protectand realise this common target by persistently settling the East Sea issuethrough peaceful measures on the basis of international law and complying withdiplomatic and legal processes.

She emphasised Vietnam’s policy of independence, autonomy, multilateralizationand diversification of foreign relations, active and proactive integration intothe world, and being a friend and a trustworthy partner of all countries aroundthe globe. 

“Vietnam supports countries’ cooperation forpeace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world,” the spokespersonsaid.-VNA