NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung at the NA opening session this morning.

Hung said: "These days, people and the NA deputies have been closely monitoring the situation in the East Sea. China’s deployment of its drilling rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and its mobilization of vessels, including warships and military aircraft, are particularly serious violations of Vietnam’s territorial sovereignty, threatening peace and security, violating international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)".

He confirmed that the Vietnamese people are very anxious about and resolutely opposed to China’s illegal acts; the international community alss very concerned and worried about the situation and has shown their sympathy and solidarity with Vietnam.

The NA Chairman said, at this session, that the NA would listen to and discuss the Government’s report on the East Sea, in the spirit of struggling for the country’s sovereignty by all measures and persistently maintaining the peaceful and stable environment for the country's development, protecting and maintaining the traditional friendly relations between Vietnam and China.

In the Government's report on the socioeconomic situation, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc confirmed that Vietnam vehemently opposes China’s illegal acts in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and Vietnam resolutely protects its national sovereignty and legitimate interests in accordance with international law and Vietnam’s peace-loving traditions.

Absolute safety for foreign companies

According to VnEconomy, a report signed and sent to NA deputies by Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh on Monday has a section entitled "On the issues relating to sovereignty in the East Sea".

The report says that in its confrontation with China over its violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea, Vietnam has taken many measures in the field, in diplomacy, and in international advocacy to create unity of the whole nation – including the community of overseas Vietnamese – and to win the support of the international community and the countries of the world.

The Government is committed to "implementing drastic and comprehensive, effective solutions, enhancing law enforcement forces at sea to defend the country’s sovereignty and national interests in the East Sea".

The Government also reaffirmed its efforts to solve the situation by peaceful means on the basis of international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS and DOC, calling for the support and sympathy of the international community, promoting patriotism and strength of the entire nation in protecting national sovereignty.

The Government also pledged to do its best to create favorable conditions and ensure absolute safety for foreign firms and foreign agencies in Vietnam in accordance with the law and Vietnam’s international commitments.

This afternoon the NA had a closed meeting on the East Sea tensions. The results will be reported to the media at a press conference later.