The Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoang Sa district of the central city of Da Nang on January 8 protested against China’s illegal activities in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago as well as in the East Sea.

Hoang Sa District's Chair Vo Cong Chanh.

Chairman Vo Cong Chanh also demanded that China stop all those activities to maintain peace, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries and in the region.

The official raised the objection after China’s Hainan provincial administration announced on January 6 that it will establish four people’s armed forces departments in the so-called Sansha city, which is in fact in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago and China held drills in Phu Lam Island in Hoang Sa.

Vo Cong Chanh reiterated that Hoang Sa archipelago belongs to Vietnam, noting that China used force to occupy the archipelago on January 19, 1974. He stressed that since then, all activities conducted by China in the archipelago are illegal, violating Vietnam’s sovereignty, and running counter to international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China’s unilateral acts in Hoang Sa archipelago and the East Sea over recent time are posing serious threats to security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the waters and maritime interests of countries around the world, the official noted, adding that such acts is a menace to regional friendship, peace, stability, and development.

VNA