VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam hailed the consensus of ASEAN and China in continuing the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the building of a Code of Conduct (COC).

The statement was made in Ha Noi yesterday, Nov 24, by Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi in reply to reporters' questions about Viet Nam's reaction to China's expression of willingness to join ASEAN to discuss the COC, at the recent 19th ASEAN Summit.

"Peace, stability, security, navigational safety and freedom in the East Sea are in the common interest of all regional countries, who needs must solve disputes via peaceful measures and with respect to international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said.

Commenting on reports by the Chinese press on November 22, 2011, that the Transport Department of Hainan Province approved a local company's launch of tourism services to the Hoang Sa Archipelago, Nghi reiterated Viet Nam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

"All foreign activities in the two archipelagos that take occur without Viet Nam's approval are violations of the country's sovereignty and go against the DOC spirit," he affirmed.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News