VietNamNet Bridge – As a coastal country with legitimate rights and interests in the East Sea, Viet Nam cares about and closely follows the evolution of the Philippines’ lawsuit against China, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi.

 

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi.

 

Nghi made the statement while answering reporters’ query on Viet Nam’s stance in response to the news saying the President of the International Tribunal for the Law of Sea on April 24 officially appointed arbitrators for the panel of five international arbitrators that would hear the Philippines’ case against China’s claims in the East Sea.

The Spokesperson affirmed that Viet Nam has sufficient legal and historical evidence and real management to prove its sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction rights over waters in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, international treaties to which Viet Nam has signed or acceded, and its legal documents.

According to Nghi, Viet Nam will apply all “proper and necessary peaceful measures” to protect its sovereignty, sovereign right, jurisdiction right, as well as legitimate national interests in the East Sea in line with the UN Charter, international law and 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Viet Nam once again affirms its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos; and its sovereignty, sovereign right, and jurisdiction right over internal waters, territorial waters, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf in the East Sea.

Viet Nam calls on relevant parties to strictly implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed between ASEAN and China in 2002, Declaration of the 15th ASEAN-China Summit commemorating 10th years of DOC and hopes that ASEAN member countries and China to launch official talks on a Code of Conduct (COC).

Source: VGP