•  Vietnam demands release of vessels seized by China

Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi made this statement on July 21 in rejection of China’s unreasonable accusations of Vietnam’s legitimate act.

It was more serious that China had improved the establishment of the so-called “Sansha City” that covers Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, Nghi said, reaffirming that Vietnam has indisputable legal basis and historical evidence of its sovereignty over the islands.

“Vietnam resolutely rejects the unreasonable accusations by the China and at the same time strongly opposes China’s establishment of the so-called ‘Sansha City’,” Nghi stressed.

He said the mentioning of the two archipelagos in the newly-passed law is the continuation of a number of provisions in Vietnam’s existing laws and that this will not affect the search for basic and long-term solutions to the disputes over the East Sea.

“Now as before, Vietnam advocates to settle the differences and disputes over the East Sea by peaceful means and on the basis of international laws, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)”, the official said.

He further added that Vietnam always attaches importance to its relations and bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China for mutual and for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.