VietNamNet Bridge - No matter what its excuses, China’s armaments on illegally occupied islands in the East Sea (South China Sea) show danger to regional security.

Photo released by CSIS and EPA in 2015 on China’s illegal land reclamations on the Fiery Cross Reef of Vietnam’s Truong Sa Archipelago.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30, said that Beijing uses artificial islands to "implement international obligations".

He said that " international obligations and responsibility" includes "search and rescue, prevent disasters, marine scientific research, meteorological observations, environmental protection, maritime safety, seafood production"...

In fact, when China began building two lighthouses on the reefs of Chau Vien (Cuarteron) and Chu Thap (Fiery Cross) of the Truong Sa (Spratly Islands) of Vietnam, China also made similar arguments.

Rear Admiral Le Ke Lam said that China’s actions were always contrary to its statements.

"China said that the illegal construction of artificial islands is to serve civic goals, scientific research, search and rescue ... but when American planes patrolled over the area, they said that this area belongs to China and asked US planes to go away,” Lam said.

“Obviously, the idiom ‘what is done by night appears by day’ is correct for China’s plot in the East Sea,” the Rear Admiral said.

He added that China’s land reclamation works on reefs have seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty and international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS).

"China’s act of turning the reefs of Vietnam that it illegally occupies into military outposts is very dangerous, seriously affecting security in the region and the world," Rear Admiral Lam said.

Le Van Cuong, former deputy head of the National Assembly delegation of Thanh Hoa Province, emphasized that China has always taken aggressive actions, making the situation in the East Sea more complicated and infringing upon the sovereignty of Vietnam through the issuance of the fishing ban in the East Sea, pulling HD-981 rig into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and building artificial islands.

"Vietnam and many countries in the world have voiced strongly against China’s actions but China has ignored them. China’s rapid construction of artificial islands in Truong Sa archipelago of Vietnam clearly shows this country’s expansionist scheme in the East Sea,” he said.

“No matter what its excuses, China’s armaments on these artificial islands have shown the danger that China poses to security in the region and the world. China not only performs its plot to control the sea but also the air in this region, and furthermore, it is realizing the so-called ‘nine-dash claim’ or the ridiculous ‘silk road’ in the East Sea," Cuong said.

Cuong also said that the positive intervention of the United States against brazen actions of China in the East Sea is for their own interests and its allies.

"Not only the US Defense Secretary, the State Secretary but also the US President have made very strong statements, sent surveillance ships and aircraft to monitor, and asked China to stop the illegal reclamation and construction of islands. The US’s action is for their own sake but it makes China more shy when doing brazen actions,” Cuong said.

He said that Vietnamese people were concerned about China’s illegal action in the East Sea.

"In the early days of the ongoing National Assembly session, many deputies made fierce response to illegal actions of China in the East Sea. In addition to asking the Government to report on the situation of the East Sea, the NA will have discussions on this matter,” he said.

Cuong said that the NA has to voice strongly to assert Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea and make specific and appropriate policies.

“I personally believe that it is essential at this time, when the Chinese always say one thing and then do another thing. That has had a big impact on our people's thoughts," Cuong said.

Earlier, on the sidelines of the ongoing National Assembly session, deputy Duong Trung Quoc also said that China's construction of artificial islands in Truong Sa was more serious than its deployment of the HD-981 oil rig.

"The National Assembly needs to show a clear attitude on the East Sea. As NA deputies, we will have to answer the people to find a consensus. Most importantly, it is the consensus of the people with the leaders, those who are entrusted with the responsibility in the field of diplomatic struggle," Quoc said.

Tri Thuc Tre