Vietnam calls on parties involved to respect its sovereignty over Truong Sa: Spokesperson
WVR - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang calls on parties to respect Vietnam's sovereignty over Truong Sa (the Spratly Islands), exercise restraint, and act responsibly, respecting international law.
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| Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang at the regular Foreign Ministry press conference, afternoon of October 16. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
On the afternoon of October 16, at the regular Foreign Ministry press conference, responding to a reporter's question about Vietnam's reaction to the recent incident in the territorial waters of Thi Tu (Thitu) Island, part of Truong Sa, between vessels of Chinese and Philippine competent agencies, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang affirmed: “First of all, we emphasize that Vietnam has full historical and legal grounds to assert its clear and definite sovereignty over Truong Sa (the Spratly Islands), including Thitu Island.”
Regarding the incident, Spokesperson Hang stated that Vietnam is deeply concerned about the public information released by the involved parties, urging them to exercise restraint, act responsibly, and respect international law.
“Vietnam calls on the relevant parties to respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, exercise restraint, and act responsibly, respect international law, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982), and relevant international regulations on maritime security and safety, including the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG)|. the Spokesperson underlined.
These moves will create a favourable atmosphere for negotiations for an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security, and safety in the East Sea and the region, the Spokesperson emphasized.
