Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh has slammed China’s recent decision to publish a book on its unjustifiable ‘nine-dotted line’ claim in the East Sea, declaring it illegal and null and void.

Vietnam asserts its indisputable sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos, and China’s decision to print the book cannot distort this naked truth, Binh told reporters at a press briefing in Hanoi on August 14.  

The book says the nine-dotted line or U-shaped line is a historical route demanding its maritime rights to claim sovereignty over East Sea islands, fish and exploit natural resources within the line.

It even concludes that any act of denying what this nine-dotted line shows is illegal and politically incorrect.

In June 2014, China published a 10-dotted line map to replace the previous nine-dotted line one, which covers territories of neighbouring countries, including the Philippines and India.