HCMC – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang has confirmed that Vietnam rejects China’s unilateral decision to apply a fishing ban in the East Sea between May 1 and August 16.
Responding to reporters’ queries on the issue on May 8, the spokeswoman reiterated that Vietnam has sufficient historical and legal evidence of its sovereignty in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, in line with international law.
As a littoral nation and a member of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Vietnam has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters, as defined in the UNCLOS, and enjoys other legitimate interests at sea in accordance with the UNCLOS’ regulations, Hang said.
Given the current regional and global crisis, Vietnam has asked China not to further complicate the situation in the East Sea, she added.
