The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an
international press conference in Hanoi on June 16 to clarify China’s wrongful,
groundless allegations of the current situation in the East Sea made on June 13
and provide fresh developments there.
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| China is intentionally turning undisputed areas into disputed ones with reasonless claims |
Vice Chairman of the National Boundary
Commission Tran Duy Hai stated that Vietnam has made every effort and shown
every gesture of goodwill to solve the current tension in the East Sea, which
was sparked by China’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in
Vietnam’s waters, via negotiations and peaceful solutions but China has
responded in an unconstructive manner.
China has not only failed to respond to
Vietnam’s goodwill but come up with baseless accusations that have distorted
the facts and slandered Vietnamese ships of ramming against Chinese vessels
more than 1,500 times, he said, adding that China has not provided any real
proof to support its accusations.
Meanwhile, according to Hai, Vietnam has
publicised many pieces of evidence, by photos and video clips, capturing
China’s aggressive, violent acts such as ramming against and firing water
cannons at Vietnam’s ships, sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat, and injuring
tens of Vietnamese people.
“Once again, Vietnam resolutely demands China
respect international law, immediately stop violations of the sovereign right
and jurisdiction of Vietnam in its exclusive economic zone and continental
shelf, withdraw the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig and escort vehicles from
Vietnam’s waters, and never repeat similar acts in the future,” he stressed.
Vietnam continues to request China to solve all
disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including
the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he added.
Nguyen Quoc Thap, Deputy General Director of the
Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, declared that it is completely groundless
and void for China to state that Vietnam ’s 57 oil and gas lots are in disputed
waters basing on its “U-shaped line” claim that was not recognised
internationally.
He added that China is intentionally turning
undisputed areas into disputed ones with reasonless claims.
In fact, these lots are totally within Vietnam’s
200-nautical mile continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, he affirmed.
This is not the first time China has conducted
illegal activities violating Vietnam’s waters. Vietnam has opposed China’s
previous violations via the diplomatic channel along with protesting in the
field and launching communication campaigns to make it understand and not
repeat similar violations.
Regarding the current situation at the site, Ngo
Ngoc Thu, Deputy Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard High Command, confirmed
that Vietnam has not sent any frogmen to the site nor dropped any object there.
Nets and floating things fished out by Chinese
ships were those left by Vietnamese fishing boats operating normally in
Vietnam’s waters escaping from intimidation of Chinese vessels, said Thu.
Debris that were collected and brazenly claimed
as evidence by the Chinese side were fragments from Vietnamese boats after
being rammed and fired high-pressure water cannon at by Chinese ships, he
added.
Although Chinese ships have kept on violently
blocking, ramming and firing water cannons at Vietnamese ships, Vietnamese
coast guard and fisheries surveillance authorities still practised utmost
restraint, trying to avoid any clash with Chinese ships.
Vietnamese vessels have not fired water cannons
back at Chinese ships, but only used spoken words to demand China remove its
rig and all defending vessels from Vietnam’s waters, noted Thu.
According to Ha Le, Deputy Head of the Vietnam
Fisheries Surveillance Department, Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ships at
the site continued to keep calm and managed to shun clash with Chinese ships.
They also persistently used all peaceful
measures to request China withdraw from Vietnam’s waters that it is violating,
he said.
Vietnamese ships will continue their law
enforcement missions at sea, resolutely protecting the national sovereignty and
safeguarding fishermen in their traditional fishing grounds, Le added.
Source: VNA
