The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a press release announcing that it will hold an international press conference on the East Sea situation this afternoon.  

The event, which starts from 4:00 p.m at Government Guesthouse at No. 12 Ngo Quyen Street, Hanoi, is expected to attract a large number of local and foreign reporters.

This is the third international press conference of its kind organised since the Chinese oil rig Haiyang-981 was put in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone illegally; the first was on May 2 and the second on May 20.

According to the Vietnamese Directorate of Fisheries, on the afternoon of May 22 Chinese ships surrounded the illegal oil rig in an attempt to provoke Vietnamese ships to attack. Film and video evidence of the incident is expected to be released.

Vietnamese ships remained careful to keep the situation under control, in line with the policy of peacefully protecting Vietnamese sovereignty.

By the end of May 22, China had 125 ships in the area of the oil rig.

Vietnamese ships continue to use speakers to request that China withdraw its oil rig and ships from Vietnamese waters.