Vietnam pursues peaceful settlement of East Sea disputes
VOV.VN - Celebrating seven years of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling on the South East China Sea (East Sea) dispute, a Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of resolving disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law.
Vietnam’s consistent policy is that disputes in the East Sea between relevant parties should be resolved by peaceful means in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), respecting diplomatic and legal processes, and contributing to peace and cooperation in the regional waters, said spokesperson Pham Thu Hang in a written statement.
The statement was released on July 15 to mark seven years of the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling in a territorial dispute case filed by the Philippines against China in the South China Sea.
Hang also affirmed that Vietnam exercises sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with international law, as well as legal rights to Vietnam’s seas established in line with UNCLOS.
In 2013, the Philippines filed a lawsuit to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, arguing that the so-called ‘nine-dash line’ proclaimed by China itself in the South China Sea was inconsistent with UNCLOS and should be declared groundless.
On July 12, 2016, the court ruled that China’s nine-dash line claim that covers 3.5 million square kilometers in the South China Sea has no legal basis under international law.
China rejected the court’s ruling, even though it is a member of UNCLOS. It has since sought to strengthen its sovereignty claim in the South China Sea by illegally reclaiming and militarizing artificial islands in the area.
Vietnam has repeatedly condemned China’s illegal activities in the regional waters, emphasizing that all activities of the parties in the two groups of islands without Vietnam’s permission are null and void.