Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng. — Photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese foreign ministry said on Thursday that China's live-fire drills in the Gulf of Tonkin this week were carried out within Chinese waters.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng made the statement in response for media's question regarding live ammunition military exercise in the Gulf of Tonkin from February 24 to 27 by the Chinese military and ships are warned not to enter this zone, just three days after Việt Nam announced the baseline used to calculate the width of Việt Nam's territorial sea in the Gulf of Tonkin on February 21.

"The area in which the drill takes place is stipulated in China's maritime announcement 13/2025 and lies entirely within China's domain," she said at the regular press conference in Hà Nội.

The establishment of the baseline in the Gulf of Tonkin aims to uphold Việt Nam's rights and obligations under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and aligns with Việt Nam's 2012 Law of the Sea, according to a press release by the foreign ministry.

The baseline has been determined based on UNCLOS regulations, reflecting the geographical and natural characteristics of the Gulf of Tonkin while ensuring compliance with international treaties to which Việt Nam is a party or member.

The baseline serves as a legal foundation for defining Việt Nam's maritime boundaries and the extent of its maritime zones in accordance with UNCLOS, along with the 2000 delimitation of the territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of the two countries in Beibu Gulf/Gulf of Tonkin between Việt Nam and China, the ministry noted.

It will also provide a robust legal basis for safeguarding and exercising Việt Nam's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, contributing to economic development, maritime management, and enhancing international cooperation.

Scam centres

Also during the press conference, the media also asked for the foreign ministry's comment on the information that Thai security forces rescued approximately 7,000 foreign nationals, including reportedly over 500 Vietnamese citizens, from telephone scam centres near the Myanmar border, and they are awaiting repatriation.

Hằng said Việt Nam is closely coordinating with relevant parties to verify specific information: “We are working with the Ministry of Public Security to handle this case while also directing Việt Nam's representative offices in Thailand and Myanmar to promptly coordinate with local authorities to verify the identities of Vietnamese citizens and take timely measures for consular protection and assistance when necessary.”

Regarding cooperation with regional countries to dismantle scam operations along the border, spokesperson Hằng stated that Vietnamese authorities have closely collaborated with other nations to investigate, clarify, and strictly handle violations committed by Vietnamese citizens abroad, in accordance with both Vietnamese law and the laws of the host countries.

“We believe that all legal violations must be dealt with in line with the law. Vietnamese authorities have been, are, and will continue to closely monitor the situation, ensuring necessary and timely consular protection measures for Vietnamese citizens who are victims in such cases,” spokesperson Phạm Thu Hằng said. — VNS