Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga made that statement on May 13 in response to questions from the media about China’s announcement of a no-fishing season in the East Sea from noon on May 16 to noon on August 1, 2011. The schedule, which was posted on Hainan province’s Haikou Municipal Government website on May 11,includes some areas in the East Sea under Vietnam's sovereignty.

Nga reiterated, "Vietnam has indisputable sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos and sovereignty and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“China’s unilateral execution of a fishing ban in the East Sea is a violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, as well as the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), which makes the East Sea situation more complicated,” the spokeswoman emphasised.

She said the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry had met with the Chinese side to lodge a protest over China’s announcement.