Regarding the questions concerning the Japanese Defense Minister’s statement on increasing Japan’s joint patrols with the US in the East Sea and Russia-China joint exercises in the East Sea, Binh said, “As a coastal country and a member of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Vietnam agrees that all activities including military activities in the East Sea need to abide by international regulations and law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

Vietnam hopes that all countries would contribute to peace, stability, ensuring security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea as well as in the Asia-Pacific region”.

The East Sea is the main maritime route in the region and the world and that Vietnam aims to settle all international disputes through peaceful means, the official added.

In response to Taiwan (China)’s building of some facilities on the Ba Binh island of Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago and the fact that these facilities are said to serve military purposes, the spokesperson said,“Vietnam’s relevant agencies are verifying this information. But we affirm that Vietnam has several times reiterated its sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, so Taiwan’s occupation and implementation of activities in this region are completely illegal and violate Vietnam’s sovereignty. 

The country resolutely opposes it. With verified evidence from relevant Vietnamese agencies, we will take the appropriate steps”.

Responding to a German reporter’s question on the TPP agreement, Binh said Vietnam placed high priority on accelerating the fine-tuning of legal institutions and the revisions of legal documents to ensure the full and effective implementation of its commitments to the TPP agreement.

VOV