Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh has demanded
China immediately remove its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 out of Vietnam’s
exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and sit down for negotiations to
maintain peace, stability and friendship between the two nations.
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| Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh giving a speech at the 13th Asia Security Summit |
In order to manage risks that may cause disputes, all
countries should share the same perspective on international responsibilities,
especially the role and responsibility of major powers, Defence Minister
General Phung Quang Thanh has said.
In his speech delivered on May 31 at the ongoing 13th IISS
Asian Security Summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, General Thanh
reiterated that the common aspiration of all nations in the world, including
Vietnam, is the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation and progress
without disputes.
To realise that, all countries should share the same duty of
preserving an environment of peace, stability and respect for international
law, the United Nations Charter and independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of others.
At the same time, they must not use force or threaten to use
force to settle disputes, he said, adding that they must enhance cooperation in
all partnership aspects on the basis of equality and mutual respect for mutual
interests, regardless of whether they are small or big.
A common perspective provides a firm foundation for the
building of trust, he said, adding that trust should be shown not only through
words but also though specific and practical actions of promoting transparency
and building friendships and partnerships among countries in respect of
international law.
General Thanh also mentioned China’ illegal placement of its
Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental
shelf, a move which has angered Vietnamese people and worried regional
countries and the international community.
He reaffirmed Vietnam’s stance of persistently settling
disputes through peaceful measures in accordance with international law,
especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and ASEAN’s Six-Point
Principle on the East Sea .
He demanded that China immediately remove the rig out of
Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and sit down at the
negotiating table to maintain peace, stability and the relationship between the
two countries.
Also on May 31, General Thanh had a bilateral meeting with
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, and is scheduled to meet French and UK
defence ministers Jean-Yves Le Drian and Philip Hammond the same day.
At the beginning of May, China illegally dispatched the rig,
as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft, to
Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds
north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The
location is 80 miles deep inside Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive
economic zone.
Throughout the month, China ’s armed vessels have
aggressively fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against
Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and
injuring many people on board.
Chinese ships have continuously encircled, constrained and
driven away Vietnamese fishing boats and put the lives of fishermen at risk.
On May 26, Chinese ship 11209 sank a Vietnamese fishing
vessel while it was operating normally in its traditional fishing grounds near
Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.
On May 27, China moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 22
seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 36 seconds east longitude.
The new location is 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa
archipelago and 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the old location, still
completely within Vietnam’s continental shelf. With the move, China has
continued to violate Vietnam ’s sovereign right and jurisdiction.
Source: VOV/VNN
