Cars are showcased at the Vietnam International Motor Show 2019 in HCM City, in October 2019. Photo tuoitre.vn

The car in question was a five-seater Volkswagen Touareg which was imported into Vietnam by the Auto World JSC,Co. Volkswagen Vietnam Company later brought the car to showcase at the Vietnam International Motor Show 2019 last month in HCM City.

According to the customs department, the Auto World company will be fined between VND40 million and VND60 million (US$1,700-$2,600) for importing a vehicle equipped with GPS software displaying incorrect images of Vietnam’s sea and island territory.

Volkswagen Vietnam, meanwhile, will have to pay a penalty of between VND20 million and VND40 million for exhibiting the vehicle.

The evidence in the case – the car which is worth more than VND4 billion ($173,000) – will also be confiscated, said customs.

China established a so-called nine-dashed line to claim more than 90 per cent of the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. The line was rejected internationally as it did not conform to the prevailing international law of the sea.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims in the waters which is believed to be rich in energy resources. 

Trade ministry orders inspection of goods featuring illegal nine-dash line

Employees of a market management division check products. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has ordered the relevant agencies to step up efforts to track the use of images of the illegal nine-dash line in various commodities

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has ordered the agencies under the ministry and the trade departments of cities and provinces to step up efforts to track the use of images of the illegal nine-dash line in various commodities and to promptly address these cases.

A representative of the ministry noted that a number of cases had arisen where goods and products displaying the illegal nine-dash line were imported into Vietnam for sale or exhibition.

These incidents are serious and have negatively affected national security and the country’s sovereignty, as well as violated the prevailing regulations, the local media reported, citing the representative.

As such, to prevent and quickly resolve similar incidents, the ministry issued the order.

Besides this, the ministry told the relevant agencies to ask firms to proactively review their products’ information and functions to promptly eliminate images of the illegal nine-dash line and other illegal images and misinformation.

The ministry also asked the units under the ministry and the municipal and provincial departments of Industry and Trade to collaborate with the competent agencies to launch campaigns to raise residents’ awareness of the illegal line to stop them from buying and using products that feature it. SGT/VNS/VNN

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