Viet Nam rejects China accusations

HA NOI — The adoption of the Law on the Sea by the Vietnamese National Assembly on June 21 is a normal law-making activity to perfect the country's legal framework so as to facilitate its international integration and boost its co-operation with other countries for the sake of peace and stability in the region and the world over.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi made this statement yesterday in rejection of China's unreasonable accusations of Viet Nam's legitimate act.

It was more serious that China had approved the establishment of the so-called "Sansha City" that covers Viet Nam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, Nghi said, reaffirming that Viet Nam had indisputable legal basis and historical evidence of its sovereignty over the islands.

"Viet Nam resolutely rejects the unreasonable accusations by the Chinese side 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 was the continuation of a number of provisions in Viet Nam's existing laws and that this would not affect the search for basic and long-term solutions to the disputes on the East Sea.

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

He further added that Viet Nam always attached importance to its relations with China and stood ready to accelerate the bilateral comprehensive strategic co-operation partnership for the benefit of the two peoples and for peace, stability and co-operation in the region and the world. — VNS