Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo |
HÀ NỘI — Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lê Thị Thu Hằng has said Việt Nam rejects China’s unilateral decision on a fishing ban in the East Sea from May 1 to August 16.
Answering reporters’ queries about the issue on Friday, Hằng reiterated that Việt Nam has sufficient historical and legal evidence affirming its sovereignty over Hoàng Sa (Paracel) and Trường Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with international law.
As an East Sea coastal country and a member of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Việt Nam has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters as defined in UNCLOS and enjoys other legitimate interests at sea in line with the UNCLOS’ regulations, she said.
Given the regional and global context at present, Việt Nam asks China not to further complicate the situation in the East Sea, she added. — VNS