Deputy spokesperson for the Vietnam Foreign Ministry Nguyen Phuong Tra

At the Ministry’s regular press briefing on Thursday, Tra said Taiwan’s actions have seriously violated Vietnam’s territorial sovereignty over the island, threatened peace, stability, safety, and maritime security, caused tensions, and further complicated the situation in the East Sea. She said Vietnam resolutely protests the action and demands Taiwan not to take any similar actions.

Answering reporters’ questions on China’s installment of new structures in Bombay Reef in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, Tra said China’s repeated actions in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago violate Vietnam’s sovereignty over the island, run counter to the common perception of the two countries’ leaders, violate the Agreement on Fundamental Principles Guiding the Settlement of Encounters at Sea between Vietnam and China and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea signed in 2002 between ASEAN and China, and complicate the situation in the East Sea. Vietnam resolutely protests China’s actions and demands China immediately halt and not repeat such actions, respect Vietnam’s sovereignty and international law, and make practical contributions to the development of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and China in the interest of the maintenance of peace and stability in the East Sea.

Concerning China’s proposal to conclude the negotiation of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea within 3 years, the Deputy spokesperson said maintaining peace, security and stability in the East Sea is  the responsibility and is to the benefit of all countries including ASEAN and China. Amid recent complications, ASEAN has several times repeated the need to soon finalize the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea. It’s important to achieve a practical, efficient and effective COC which is in line with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in order to contribute to peace, stability, and security in the East Sea in particular and the region as a whole.