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May 22, 2018 / 10:39

Vietnam requests China to end bomber drills in Paracels

Recent activity by China’s strategic bombers in the East Sea’s Paracel Islands seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over its territorial waters, Vietnam’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Le Thu Hang on May 21 said the China’s dispatch of bombers to conduct take-off and landing drills in Paracel islands had seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over South China Sea, which it calls East Sea.
“Vietnam requests China to put an end to these activities immediately”, Hang said on Monday over the reporters’ question regarding the Chinese exercises.
Vietnam's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang
Vietnam's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

The move goes against Vietnam-China Agreement on Basic Principles Guiding the Settlement of Maritime Issues, violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), negatively affects the negotiation of a Code of Conduct in the water (COC), fuels tensions, caused instability in the region and hampered the efforts to maintain peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea, Hang said.
“Vietnam has sufficient legitimate foundation and historic evidence to claim its sovereignty over Spratly and Paracel islands in line with international law”, the spokesperson pressed.
Hence, Vietnam asks China not to conduct the militarization activities, while seriously respecting the country’s sovereignty over the two archipelagoes and complying to the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues and the DOC, aiming to create a favorable environment for the maintenance of regional peace, stability and cooperation, according to the spokesperson.