VietNamNet Bridge - Prime Minister Dung spoke at the Government's monthly meeting on Thursday, and argued for cooler heads to prevail in Vietnam’s current confrontation with China.

China’s rig has been moved to a new location but it still lies entirely in the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam.

The head of government stressed that the Party, the State and the people of Vietnam are determined to defend the country’s sovereignty by all peaceful means and in accordance with international law.

"The Constitution affirms that the country’s independence and sovereignty are sacred and inviolable, so they cannot be traded off for anything. In accordance, I have stated unequivocally that Vietnam will never relinquish its independence and sovereignty for some kind of elusive, dependent peace and quasi-friendship," the Prime Minister reiterated.

As China moved its illegal drilling rig to a new location, one which is still entirely in the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam, the Prime Minister outlined three sets of solutions for the coming days.

On the field, the vessels of the Vietnamese law enforcement forces must always be available at the new location. "Though Chinese ships will continue ramming ours, we must stay resolute and maintain our restraint," the Prime Minister said. He went on to inform attendants that, to date, 30 ships of Vietnam’s law enforcement forces had been damaged by attacks by Chinese ships. The Prime Minister appreciated the frequent presence of dozens of independent fishing boats near this area to help assert the country's sovereignty.

On the diplomatic front, the Prime Minister insisted that Vietnam will persevere and continue the fight at the highest level to make clear the wrongdoing of China, and will continue to demand that Beijing pull the rig out of Vietnam’s waters.

With the struggle over public opinion, the Prime Minister asked the relevant bodies to provide complete, truthful and convincing evidence of the wrongful acts of China to the international community.

"Legal actions are also peaceful means. This approach will be used at the right time, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law," he added.

Reviewing Vietnam’s actions over the past month, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam had contacted China’s representatives over 30 times to ask them to withdraw the rig from Vietnam’s waters. Vietnam has informed the international community of China’s misconduct as well as Vietnam’s good will efforts to solve the tensions by peaceful means. Voices from the international community have expressed their support for Vietnam and condemned China's actions.

Deputy head of the Central Information and Public Relations  Committee, Mr. Nguyen The Ky, said in a recent month, four foreign news agencies and 14 international newspapers sent reporters to Vietnam to cover the news of China’s illegal actions in Vietnamese waters.

Economic cooperation continues

Vietnam will continue to attach importance to friendly cooperation with China and Chinese in other fields in a normal way, the Prime Minister noted.

He cited two specific examples to demonstrate this spirit: the active participation of the Vietnam delegation, led by Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, at an international conference in Shanghai; and most recently, the operational launch of a steel plant with a capacity of 500,000 tons, and 49% Chinese funding, in Lao Cai Province.

"The fight for sovereignty must continue but business cooperation will be still maintained," said the Prime Minister.

Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang said many power and chemical projects with the participation of Chinese contractors are still being implemented normally. And trade across the Vietnam-China border areas is still bustling.

Tran Cham