Vietnam called on all countries to actively and pragmatically contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, and respect international law, said Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

Binh made the statement on January 31 in reply to reporters’ queries regarding Vietnam’s response to the US’s conduct of a freedom of navigation operation within 12 nautical miles of Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago on January 30.

“Once again, we affirm Vietnam’s indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa archipelago as well as Truong Sa (Spartly) archipelago,” he said.

As a member country of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), Vietnam respects innocent passage in territorial waters in line with relevant rules stipulated in international law, especially the convention, the spokesman said.

VNA