Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Doan Khac Viet

China's Coast Guard announced the ban to take effect as from May 1, 2021, covering Vietnam's Paracel Islands and parts of the Gulf of Tonkin. The Foreign Ministry's Deputy spokesman, Doan Khac Viet, told the press on Thursday: 'Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, as well as its legal rights over its waters in accordance with 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Vietnam holds that the preservation of biological resources must comply with the Convention and not harming national sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction rights at sea of related countries. Vietnam opposes and resolutely rejects China's unilateral decision. It violated Vietnam’s national sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) islands and international law, including UNCLOS, going against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and violates the Vietnam-China Agreement on the Basic Principles Guiding the Settlement of sea-related Issues.”

Regarding a press report on April 13 that China has registered trade mark protection for hundreds of features scattered in the East Sea, the Deputy Spokesman said Vietnam’s stance in relation to the East Sea has been repeatedly and consistently indicated reasserting Vietnam’s full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, as well as its legal rights over its relating waters in accordance with 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. All activities violating these rights are void and not recognized and Vietnam resolutely opposes to them.