A naval soldier of Vietnam on duty on Da Lat Reef in the country's Truong Sa archipelago (Photo: VNA) Replying to a question about the report that the Chinesecoast guard force declared it will guarantee the enforcement of the fishing banthat will take effect on May 1, 2021, on the sea area covering part of the Gulfof Tonkin and Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, the deputy spokesman reiterated that Vietnam has sufficient legal ground and historicalevidence testifying to its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly)archipelagos, as well as its legal rights towards sea areasidentified in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of theSea (UNCLOS).
Vietnam holds that measures to preserve creature resourcesneed to be implemented in conformity with regulations of the 1982 UNCLOS andmust not harm the sovereign right and jurisdiction at sea of other related states,according to Viet.
He stressed that Vietnam objects to and resolutely rejectsthis unilateral decision by the Chinese side, which has violated Vietnam’ssovereignty over Hoang Sa archipelago; infringed international law, including the1982 UNCLOS; run counter to the spirit and wording of the Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); and gone against the agreement onbasic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnamand China.
Regarding the information that the Vietnamese maritimemilitia force operating near Hainan archipelago and Vietnam’s Hoang Sa andTruong Sa archipelagos has threatened the maritime law enforcement and security- defence forces of China, the deputy spokesman noted: “We refutes those incorrectinformation about the marine self-defence militia force of Vietnam.”
He highlighted the country’s defence policy of peace, self-defence and basing on the people, citing the 2019 law on militia and self-defence forces which stipulates that the marine self-defence militia force is part ofVietnam’s self-defence militia force and has the tasks of safeguarding thecountry’s maritime sovereignty and maintaining security, order, and safety onseas and islands.
The marine self-defence militias and other authorised forcesworking at sea absolutely comply with Vietnamese laws and international law,especially the 1982 UNCLOS, Viet emphasised.
He again declared that any act harming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa andTruong Sa archipelagos, as well as the country’s sovereignty, sovereign right,and jurisdiction over its sea areas is valueless and not recognised, and Vietnamresolutely objects to such acts./.
VNA
