(VOV) - Three years after the US withdrew its troops out of Iraq in December 2011, the country once again has plunged into violence due to the insurgence of jihadists of the Islamic State.

(VOV) - In a Joint Communiqué released in Myanmar on August 10, ASEAN Foreign Ministers expressed serious concern over recent tensions in the East Sea and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, maritime security as well as freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the sea.

(VOV) - Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has expressed deep concern about recent East Sea tensions, especially Chinese placement of its oil platform Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s waters, and said more efforts are needed to prevent similar actions in the future.

(VOV) - Recent tensions in the East Sea after China’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf were the topic of a recent seminar of the Asian Commission of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI) in Buenos Aires.

(VOV) -A dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteurs on human rights is an important cooperative activity between Vietnam and the UN’s Universal Periodic Review on human rights. 

(VOV) - The current territorial dispute in the East Sea should be resolved through peaceful measures so as to create a peaceful environment for cooperation and development, an international conference heard in HCM City on July 25.

At 18:30 on July 16, China’s oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 was 41 nautical miles from its previous position and out of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, about 163 nautical miles southwest of China’s Hainan island, reported the Vietnam Coast Guard High Command. 

Vietnam demands China not take its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 back or dispatch any other rigs to Vietnam’s oil and gas Block 143 or any other areas belonging to Vietnam’s waters as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to create a peaceful and stable environment in the East Sea.

(VOV) - The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) announced on July 15 that the rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 has completed the drilling and exploration near Tri Ton island of Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, and is heading towards Lingshui region of Hainan island.

Chinese ships protecting the illegally-placed oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 on July 14 continued taking aggressive acts to hinder Vietnamese law enforcement ships that were operating in their national waters. 

The Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department on July 13 reported that a Chinese jet fighter made several circles above Vietnamese law enforcement ships operating near drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 that is illegally standing in Vietnam’s waters.

The Chinese side on July 12 dispatched a marine surveillance aircraft to fly above Vietnamese law enforcement ships that are operating in the national waters, close to where the rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 is illegally standing. 

China on July 11 sent six military ships to the site where its rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 is illegally standing inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, according to the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department. 

(VOV) - The US Senate has adopted a resolution denouncing China’s unilateral actions in the East Sea and demanding a return of the status quo before May 1, 2014.

(VOV) - The US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted the fourth annual seminar on the East Sea in Washington DC on July 10, bringing together leading world scholars from the US, China, India, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. 

Chinese marine surveillance aircraft CMS-B3808 on July 10 was seen to flight above Vietnamese law enforcement ships that are operating in the national waters, close to where drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 is illegally standing, reported the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department. 

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations in Ho Chi Minh City (HUFO) on July 10 issued a statement protesting China ’s illegal activities in the East Sea. 

(VOV) - The Danang Municipal People’s Council on July 10 issued a resolution opposing China’s illegal acts in the East Sea.

(VOV) - Finanzen.net – one of Germany’s largest financial e-portals on July 9 reported on an international seminar on Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos which was held in the central city of Danang from June 19-21.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Tat Thanh on July 7 wrote an article on the country’s daily Matichon, opposing the wrongful view of Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Ning Fukui on the East Sea published earlier on the same newspaper.

China on July 8 mobilised an electronic reconnaissance plane to oversee the operation of Vietnamese law enforcement ships in the area that China is illegally placing its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981, reported the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department. 

China on July 7 used up to 110 ships of various types, including four military ships to defend the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, which is standing illegally in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and prevent Vietnamese law enforcement ships from operating in their national waters.

Polish scholars attending a seminar at the Almamer University, Warsaw, affirmed Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos and decried China’s recent acts in Vietnam’s waters.

On July 6, the Chinese side continued its aggressive acts at the site where its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 is illegally standing in Vietnamese waters to prevent Vietnamese law enforcement ships from approaching the rig.

On July 4, China maintained the presence of five battleships, 48 coast guard, 15 cargo vessels and four tugboats around drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 that has been illegally standing in Vietnam’s waters since early May, according to the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department. 

(VOV) - Vietnam Ambassador Le Hoai Trung on July 3 requested UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, circulate two documents clarifying Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and exposing the fallacies of  China’s claims.

China on July 3 sent two more military vessels to protect its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 that is parked illegally in Vietnam’s waters, adding up to seven ships of this kind, according to the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department. 

(VOV) - A Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said China’s recent escalations, including its decision to expand the typhoon warning area to the entire East Sea, cannot reverse Vietnam’s indisputable sovereignty over its Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

(VOV) -The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has legal jurisdiction to intervene in Vietnam's international disputes and impose sanctions, discipline or an appropriate dispute resolution process in furtherance of a peaceful settlement.

Associations for friendship with Vietnam in various European countries have issued a joint resolution demanding that China respect international law and immediately withdraw its oil rig out of Vietnam’s waters as well as stop all violent actions.