Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh has reiterated Vietnam’s policy of protecting national sovereignty by peaceful measures with respect to international law, in order to maintain peace, stability, security and safety of navigation in the East Sea.

Thanh briefed participants at the eight ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-8) in Myanmar on May 20 amidst their concerns over China’s illegal placement of a drilling rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. He said the act threatens peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

Vietnam is determined to keep political stability in the country and maintain the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China, he affirmed.

Vietnam has requested dialogue with the Chinese side at different levels, including through people-to-people diplomatic channels, with the desire of both sides to exercise restraint to avoid military conflicts at sea, he added.

He stated that the country does not use aircraft, missile-mounted ships or frogmen to attack and destroy the Chinese rig, adding that Vietnamese law enforcement ships, including coast guard and fisheries surveillance ones, and fishing boats do not ram or fire water cannons at Chinese vessels to force them to withdraw.

Informing about some protests taking place in Vietnam in response to China’s violation of the country’s sovereignty, General Thanh said that some extremists made use of the events to commit crime such as destroying the property of foreign invested firms, which went beyond the wishes of both Vietnam and China, as well as other countries.

He stressed that Vietnam will strictly punish law-breakers in accordance with the country’s law, not allowing the incident to affect its investment environment as well as the friendship between the people of Vietnam and China.

“The Vietnamese Government is taking measures to ensure security and absolute safety for foreign citizens and enterprises in the country,” he stated, adding that the affected firms have resumed their normal operations.

“We hope that foreign friends will share the difficulties with Vietnam and encourage their businesses to have peace of mind while working and investing in Vietnam,” he said.

Regarding the tension in the East Sea, participants at the event agreed to raise the issue at the informal meeting between ASEAN Defence Ministers and the Chinese Defence Minister on the sidelines of the ADMM-8.

Concluding the event, the defence leaders passed a joint statement on the cooperation for community and prosperity.

They voiced support for the outcomes of the 24th ASEAN Summit and the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration, which call on cooperation in ensuring the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also called on parties to practice self-restraint without using force or conducting activities that may intensify tensions, while highlighting the need to form a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) at an early date.

The ministers reiterated the group’s commitment to reinforcing defence cooperation towards the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

They suggested measures to build trust, including forming more hotlines and collecting commitments not to using forces among ASEAN countries.

Participants were briefed on the group’s all-round development by General Secretary Le Luong Minh.

According to Minh, the seventh ASEAN-China senior officials’ meeting on the implementation of the DOC in Pattaya, Thailand, in April this year underlined the need to fully implement the DOC.

Both sides affirmed the need of early finalising the COC.

At the 24th ASEAN Summit in Myanmar, ASEAN leaders once again stated the importance of maintaining peace and stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

They expressed deep concerns over incidents escalating tensions in the East Sea while emphasising the need to form the COC soon.

On the sidelines of the event, the Vietnamese Minister had bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of China, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Minister of Energy of Brunei.

China urged to work with Vietnam on East Sea issue

Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh has asked China stop taking unilateral action in the East Sea, and instead sit down at the negotiating table and amicably settle territorial disputes with Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Minister made the proposal at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan on the sidelines of the 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM-8) taking place in Myanmar.

General Thanh said China has placed its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou -981 within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, sparking outrage among Vietnamese people and causing worries in the region.

He reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of struggling to defend national sovereignty through peaceful means, with respect for and within the constraints of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), so as to maintain peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

He told Chang that Vietnam only uses law enforcement vessels of the Vietnam Coast Guard and Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance, as well as fishing boats to defend national sovereignty. It would never use aircraft, frigates or frogmen to attack and destroy the Chinese rig.

Thanh asked China to exercise restraint, not deploying military boats to collide with and fire water cannons at Vietnamese boats, provoking public outrage and injuring friendship between the two peoples.

He assured Chang that Vietnam will resolutely defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity to create a peaceful and stable environment for national development, while further strengthening solidarity and friendship with China in the spirit of the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership established by the two countries’ top leaders.

“I expressed hope that both sides will refrain themselves and make recommendations to their Party and State leaders to settle the case rationally and stabilise the situation soon,” Thanh told reporters after the meeting.

However, the Defence Minister said China has a different viewpoint, insisting that the oil rig has been placed within China’s waters and that Vietnam is interfering with Chinese operations.

Thanh immediately refuted the statement, saying the area where China has installed its rig is within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as prescribed in the 1982 UNCLOS.

He called on China to stop unilateral action not to complicate the situation, and work closely with Vietnam to tackle the tension, through the two countries’ current negotiation mechanism.

“I also asked China to soon withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, bringing peace to the waters again,” he said.