At a press conference on Thursday, she responded to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying’s post on Twitter which said that Chinese activities in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, date back to over 2,000 years ago and China's sovereignty and relevant rights have been established in the long course of history. The Vietnamese spokeswoman said all countries should comply with key principles of international law: “Maintaining the East Sea a region of peace, stability and development has been shared aspiration and responsibility of countries in the East Sea and in the region, and the international community. This requires joint efforts by countries on the basis of respect of international law and full enforcement of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Vietnam has and will contribute positively to the joint effort towards this goal.”

The spokeswoman reiterated Vietnam’s foreign policy: “In the world of integration and development, it’s inevitable for countries to show their goodwill for cooperation and development. Vietnam maintains its clear and consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of international relations and comprehensive international integration, development and cooperation with all partners on the basis of mutual interests, respect of international law for peace, stability in the region and the world. Vietnam wishes other countries to share its view.”