Spokesperson for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Pham Thu Hang

She said China's inclusion of a part of Hoang Sa, which belongs to Vietnam's sovereignty, in its military exercise in the East Sea from July 29 to August 2 violates Vietnam's sovereignty over this area and goes against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

 It complicates the situation, and does not contribute to the ongoing negotiations between China and ASEAN on a Code of Conduct in the waters (COC) as well as to the maintenance of a peaceful, stable, and cooperative environment in the East Sea, Hang stressed.

Vietnam strongly protests and demands that China respect Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and refrain from similar actions in the future, stated the diplomat.

Regarding the incident that a group of Filipinos organized a protest in front of the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila, the Philippines and teared the Vietnamese flag, Hang said:  “The red flag with a yellow star is the sacred national flag of Vietnam. The act of vandalizing Vietnam's national flag is an insult to the Vietnamese people and should be severely condemned. We ask the Philippine side to strictly handle the incident, and take effective measures to prevent the above behavior from recurring, which affects the strategic partnership and good relationship between Vietnam and the Philippines".