Vietnam responds to Japanese and UK concerns about East Sea

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement during the ministry’s regular press conference held on February 4 in Hanoi to answer reporters' questions regarding comments on the joint statement released by Japan and the UK which raises concerns about the situation in the East Sea.

“Vietnam supports the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, security, safety, freedom of navigation, and aviation, and respects the principle of rule of law on seas and oceans in accordance with regulations of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). Activities of the concerned parties in the East Sea, internationally known as South China Sea, should contribute to this common goal,” Hang said.

This comes after Reuters reported that at the end of an online meeting held on February 3, the foreign ministers and defence ministers of Japan and the UK issued a joint statement expressing concern about the situation in the East Sea. In the statement both parties voiced their strong objections to all unilateral efforts aimed at changing the status quo of these waters.

The joint statement issued by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi, and their British counterparts, Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace, reaffirmed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. In doing so, their statement called on all parties to exercise self-restraint whilst refraining from activities that could lead to an increase in tensions.