Vietnam is deeply concerned about and resolutely opposes the illegal survey operations conducted by the Haiyang Dizhi 26 of China in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said on June 6.
The spokesperson made the statement in response to reporters' questions regarding the illegal survey conducted by the vessel of the Chinese Navy in Vietnamese waters at the ministry’s regular press conference in Hanoi.
She said that Vietnam has repeatedly communicated with China concerning the illegal activities of the survey ship in Vietnamese waters.
Vietnam demands that China cease the illegal activities and refrain from repeating such actions in the future, the spokesperson said, urging China to fully respect Vietnam's sovereign rights and jurisdiction, respect international law, adhere to UNCLOS 1982 and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and seriously implement high-level conceptions reached by Vietnamese and Chinese leaders on managing and resolving maritime disputes to maintain the development momentum of bilateral relations and contribute positively to peace and stability in the East Sea.
