Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Việt Nam Phạm Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam strongly reiterates its consistent stance on the sovereignty over Hoàng Sa (Paracel) and Trường Sa (Spratly), and resolutely rejects any maritime claims of China that are based on the “dotted line” in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng on Thursday.

Hằng made the statements while answering reporters’ questions regarding Việt Nam’s response to the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR)’s release of the so-called “standard map 2023” which covers Việt Nam’s Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa.

The issuance of the map as well as China’s “dotted line” claim show a violation of Việt Nam’s sovereignty over Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa, as well as Việt Nam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters as stipulated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), she stressed.

Therefore, the sovereignty and maritime claims based on the “dotted line” as reflected in the map are void and violate international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, the spokeswoman said.

The “dotted line” represents China’s unilateral expansive, egregious claims over much of the resource-rich East Sea, which have been deemed illegal by an arbitral ruling by The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.

With the statement, Việt Nam has become the fourth country in the ASEAN grouping to voice protests against China’s “standard map,” following Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia – who are also embroiled in the East Sea disputes. — VNS