VietNamNet Bridge – Professor Dr Vu Van Hien, Deputy Chairman of the Party Central Theoretical Council outlined his vision of China’s wrongdoing that has resulted in the escalation of tensions in the East Sea in a recent interview granted to a Japanese reporter.

Professor Dr Vu Van Hien

In the interview, Dr Hien stated the Party Central Theoretical Council anticipated that sooner or later China would seek to monopolize the East Sea and realize its dream of becoming a "greater China" at sea through the use of aggressive and illegal actions towards Vietnam and its neighbours.

Vietnam and neighbouring countries have always been cognizant of this deep-seated intention of China. Therefore, conflict in the East Sea was, in the words of Dr Hien, inevitable as it is part and parcel of China’s policies and orientations.

In 2011 and 2012, China cut cables of Vietnamese oil exploration ships and Vietnam at the time availed itself of all diplomatic measures at its disposal to demand China immediately stop the wrongful activities.

However, the Chinese did not stop there; in direct contradiction, they devised a scheme to illegally monopolize the East Sea by putting the Haiyang Shiyou oil rig inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf on May 1, 2014 and thereby escalate tension in the East Sea.

Dr. Hien emphasized that the Party and Government of Vietnam have always had the strongest of desires to stand united with all the nations in the world, especially China - a large neighbouring country.

Although the two countries have historically experienced a number of upheavals, Vietnam has always held the friendship in high regard and consistently has undertaken measures to create a perfect harmony and an atmosphere of peaceful friendly cooperation between the two nations.

Regarding the illegal stationing of a giant oil rig by China in Vietnam’s territorial waters, the view of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is that the country should stand resolute in its defence of national territorial sovereignty and fight to the end to defend the sovereignty.

However, the country should always stand prepared to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner resulting in a positive and prosperous development for the region as a whole.

Mr. Hien also said the histories of Vietnam and the world had a lot of evidence clearly showing two archipelagoes- Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) belong to Vietnam.

From the Han dynasty (In 203-220 BC) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) of China, there are not any documents demonstrating the sovereignty of Spratly and Paracel islands rightfully belong to China.

World Atlas of Philip Vantermanden published in 1927 in Europe also specified Vietnam belonging to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands. Also, this map clearly indicated the location of China's southernmost was Hainan island.

A map drawn by Jodocus Hondius in 1613 shows Paracel Islands (Hoang Sa), including all Vietnamese islands from the southern part of the Tonkin Gulf to the southern coast of Vietnam, except Pulo Condor (Con Dao) and Pulo Cici (Phu Quoc Island) which were plotted separately.

At the San Francisco conference in the US in September 1951 discussing territorial issues after the World War II, 46/51 countries decided to vote for Vietnam recognizing the country’s sovereignty over the two archipelagoes.

Mr Hien confirmed China used force to invade the eastern part of the sovereignty of Vietnam’s Paracel island in 1956 after China signed a peaceful agreement in the Indochina Peninsula.

In 1974, China once again used force occupying the western part of the archipelago. More seriously, in 1988, China again sent troops invading Collins rocks, the Johnson South Reef belonging to Vietnam’s Spratly Island.

In recent years, China has continuously escalated encroachment activities in the East Sea- making its official claim to “nine-dash” (May 2009), cutting the cables of Vietnamese ships Binh Minh 2 and Viking 2 (May/June 2011), establishing "Sansha City" (June 2012), unilaterally issuing a fishing ban in the East Sea every year and taking enforcement measures on Fisheries Law of the People's Republic of China's Hainan Province (effective from January 2014).

In addition, China has organized patrols and military exercises in the East Sea to flaunt its power as a deterrence to other claimants, intensified activities pertaining to oil and gas exploration, archaeology and tourism development tourism, strengthened occupied bases, chased and attacked Vietnamese fishing vessels in a blatant manner in defiance of public opinion and international law.

Besides, China also claims an "absolutely right" to establish an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the East Sea.

In 2013, China increased its defence budget by 10.7% to US$116 billion with a focus on developing the navy. China also constantly reinforced institutions in "Sansha” and set up a radio and TV station “Sansha ".

Thus, illegal actions taken by China in recent times were the result of deliberate and careful calculations designed to implement a long-term conspiratorial agenda to monopolize the East Sea.

At its 18th Congress, the Communist Party of China (CPC) identified strategies to develop China into a "sea power". To reach this goal, China adopted a series of policies to strengthen the “practical management” in the East Sea.

The policies included publishing two Defence White Paper’s entitled “The Diversified Employment of China's Armed Forces” and "Diplomatic White Book 2013” in which for the first time a separate section was devoted to "protect maritime rights and interests of China". These documents emphasized protecting core national interests and affirmed the important task of the Chinese army is to protect maritime rights and interests.

Notably, China decided to establish the National Security Committee to direct island security work, consolidate island management agencies, reform law enforcement forces at sea aiming to broaden the scope of their activities.

The State Oceanic Administration of China also established an “island research centre”.

After studying China’s plot to monopolize the East Sea, its ambitions became clear: It wants to gradually legalize a maritime boundary claim "U-shaped " by applying tricks in all fields-communications, legal means, diplomacy and economics, using of force and causing localized conflicts to turn nothing into something, undisputed into disputed waters there by tapping natural resources located in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the East Sea littoral states.

Chinese fishing ship (L) attacking a Vietnamese fishing vessel.

Since then, the East China Sea will be considered as their home pond, clearing the way to the ocean to turn itself into a sea superpower that controls the international sea lifeline through the East Sea and the natural resources of the East Sea.

“Vietnam is a peace-loving nation that always wants to keep peace with China. Vietnam also thanks the goodwill statements by neighbouring countries, Japan and the US that condemned China’s misconduct and ethical violations of international law in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

The country states that security interests in the East Sea are not only of its but of the whole region and the world including the US and Japan. The US and Japan’s deep concern over this matter is entirely plausible and is also suggestive for a better future in the East Sea.” Hien concluded.

VOV/VNN