Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh on September 4 criticised China’s recent decision to launch tours of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago of Vietnam, considering it a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty.

Vietnam has indisputable sovereignty over the Paracel islands, Binh said in response to reporters’ question following news that China plans to open tours from Sanya city of China’s Hainan province to Paracel islands.

The move seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty, runs counter to a Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea disputes as well as the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and further complicates the situation in the East Sea and the region, the spokesperson said.

Vietnam demands that China put an immediate end to this wrongful act, Binh said, adding that Vietnam has repeatedly asserted its indisputable sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, and all Chinese activities on the two groups of islands are illegal and invalid.

VOV/VNN