Vietnam on June 4 sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking China to strictly abide by international law, and immediately stop its violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

In the note, Vietnam also asked China to withdraw its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 and escort vessels and aircraft from Vietnam’s territorial waters and not let similar actions happen again in the future.

This was the third diplomatic note Vietnam had sent to China after the latter placed its drilling rig deep inside the former’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf on May 1.

Foreign correspondents attending the press conference in Hanoi on June 5

At an international press conference in Hanoi on June 5, Tran Duy Hai deputy head of the Vietnam National Border Committee, said Vietnam has conducted more than 30 contacts and dialogues with the Chinese side since the incident happened. Civil Vietnamese boats have exercised restraint at sea, asking China to remote its drilling rig and escort vessels out of the country’s waters.

Defying Vietnam’s goodwill, China has continued its illegal actions, making slanderous allegations and accusation of Vietnam. More seriously, it moved the rig to a new location 60 miles deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and increased the number of escort vessels, including military ships, to 140 at a time.

Chinese ships have encircled, intentionally rammed and fired water cannons at civil Vietnamese boats, injuring 12 Vietnamese sailors and damaging 24 of their vessels.

On May 26 Chinese ships sank a Vietnamese boat DNa-90152-TS which was fishing in its traditional fishing ground 17 miles off the drilling rig. They even prevented other Vietnamese boats from approaching and rescuing 10 fishermen aboard the boat.

This clearly shows China’s inhuman behaviour towards Vietnamese fishermen, said Ha Le, deputy head of the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department at the press briefing.