HÀ NỘI — Any unilateral actions by any other country in Việt Nam’s two archipelagoes in the East Sea – Hoàng Sa (Paracel) and Trường Sa (Spratly) – without the consent of Việt Nam are invalid and illegal, said foreign ministry spokesperson Lê Thị Thu Hằng.

Hằng made the statement during the regular press conference yesterday, speaking in response to a reporter’s question on the reaction of the Vietnamese Government to several reports that China had conducted military exercises in the East Sea.

She reiterated the Vietnamese Government’s stance that Việt Nam has sovereignty over the two archipelagos in the East Sea, sovereignty and jurisdiction over their territorial waters in line with international laws including UNCLOS 1982.

"The stance of Việt Nam is clear and consistent: It expects other countries to contribute to peace, safety and freedom of air and maritime navigation in the East Sea," Hằng said.

Regarding US President Donald Trump’s remarks that the US may re-join the freshly inked Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Hằng said that the trade deal was open and any other country was welcomed to participate, as long as it was based upon agreement to the high standards set in the treaty and consent from other member countries.

Hằng also said Việt Nam welcomed efforts by the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to restore peace and stability in the Korea peninsula, demonstrated recently by the upcoming historic summit between RoK President Moon Jae-in and DPRK’s leader Kim Jong-un.

Upcoming external activities

At the press conference, she announced that at the invitation of the Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his wife, Trần Thị Nguyệt Thu, would visit Singapore and attend the 32nd ASEAN Summit held there during April 25-28, as the two countries celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations and five years of strategic co-operation partnership.

This is the first official visit by the Vietnamese Government leader to the island state since he assumed the position.

Hằng also announced that Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh would attend the Global Summit for Women 2018 held in Australia from April 22-28, where discussions of the empowerment of women and gender equality within inclusive growth and deepened globalisation will top the agenda. — VNS