A Vietnamese diplomat has strongly denounced China’s illegal placement of Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone and its intensified intimidation against Vietnamese law enforcement forces at sea.

Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), was expressing his view at a meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman in New York on June 2.

He said Chinese ships that are deployed to protect the rig deliberately stalked and, utilizing high-power water cannons, violently attacked Vietnamese law enforcement vessels and fishing boats, leaving untold damages in life and property.

Trung also asserted that China’s aggressive and barbarous acts are an egregious violation of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and threaten safety, security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea.

He proffered Under-Secretary Jeffrey’s legal and historical proof, which clearly and unequivocally demonstrates Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

Chinese ship fired high-power water cannons at Vietnamese law enforcement vessel

Vietnam is ardently committed to a policy of settling disputes through peaceful measures in compliance with international law, he said, adding that the country is also mindful of salvaging friendship ties with China.

Therefore, Vietnam is exercising self-restraint and is intent on resolving the conflict at the negotiating table. It stands ready to sit down with China at all levels and utilize whatever methods are necessary to ensure a settlement is reached.

At this point Vietnam asks China to remove the drilling oil rig and escort ships out of Vietnam’s waters and come to the negotiating table to handle differences, he said.

Trung urged the UN and the international community to support Vietnam’s goodwill, and called on China not to undertake any more unilateral acts escalating tensions in the region.

Under-Secretary Jeffrey’s thanked the Vietnamese delegation for the update and voiced his high admiration for Vietnam’s policy to settle disputes through peaceful measures in accordance with international law.

He said that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is following with keen interest the current situation in the East Sea.

The East Sea dispute is of great importance to the international community, he said, expressing his concerns about the rising global tension it has created. He called on all parties concerned to self-restrain and resolve disputes through dialogue and other peaceful solutions in line with the UN Charter and international law.

VOV/VNN