Deputy Spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry Phạm Thu Hằng. — Photo baoquocte.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei will continue to closely coordinate with Taiwanese authorities and relatives of those who are believed to be missing to carry out identity verification procedures and necessary citizen protection measures, Deputy Spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry Phạm Thu Hằng said on Friday.

She was referring to the recent discovery of bodies drifting at sea in Taiwan (China), with some carrying Vietnamese ID papers.

Immediately after receiving the information from Taiwanese authorities, the ministry directed the Taipei office to urgently work with Taiwanese authorities on the matter, Hằng said.

On March 23, 2023, the ministry's Consular Department met representatives of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Việt Nam to propose coordination to verify related information and support Việt Nam’s representative mission in Taipei in implementing citizen protection measures, Hằng further said. 

Also on Friday, Hằng responded to a media query on Việt Nam's reaction to Taiwan (China)’s announcement of conducting a live-fire exercise in the waters around Ba Bình (Itu Aba) Island in Việt Nam's Trường Sa (Spratly) Archipelago.

She said the fact that Taiwan (China) held a live-fire drill in these waters is an act of seriously violating Việt Nam's territorial sovereignty over the archipelago, threatening maritime peace, stability, safety and security as well as complicating the situation in the East Sea.

Việt Nam resolutely opposes and demands Taiwan (China) to cancel the illegal activity and not to repeat the same violations, she added.  VNS