This statement was made by Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, during the ministry’s regular press conference held on August 5 in Hanoi in response to a reporter's query about information regarding the country’s reaction to China's large military exercises in the East Sea, including on Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago.
Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal grounds to testify to its sovereignty over both the Hoang Sa archipelago and Truong Sa, known internationally as the Spratly islands, in accordance with international law.
"China's military exercises in the Paracel islands area of Vietnam has violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the archipelago, going against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), complicating the situation and is not conducive to the current negotiation process between China and ASEAN on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) and the maintenance of a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment in the East Sea", Hang affirmed.
Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, stop and not repeat similar violations that further complicated the situation in the East Sea.
Previously, the Hainan Maritime Administration of China announced on August 4 that it would hold drills in the northern part of the East Sea. This area covers the majority of the Hoang Sa archipelago, which belongs to Vietnam. The notice stated that all ships are prohibited from entering the above exercise area from 0:00 on August 6 to the end of August 10.
