Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday issued a statement, saying that Việt Nam welcomes other countries’ stance on the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue in line with international law. 

Regarding US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement on the US position on maritime claims in the East Sea on Monday (US time), the ministry’s spokesperson Lê Thị Thu Hằng said peace, stability, co-operation and development in the East Sea are the common aspirations and goals of the countries in the sea, the region and the international community.

Respect for the maritime legal order and the full, good-willed and responsible implementation of the 1982 United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) are important to achieve those goals, she said.

“Việt Nam welcomes positions of countries on the South China Sea issue in line with international laws and shares the viewpoint, as mentioned in the statement at the ASEAN’s 36th Summit, that the UNCLOS 1982 is a legal framework governing all maritime activities,” she said.

Việt Nam hopes countries will make efforts to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, co-operation in the South China Sea and address disputes through dialogue and other peaceful measures in accordance with international laws, she said, adding that Việt Nam has always actively and responsibly contributed to this process.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on July 13 said Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them. — VNS

Download the 'Việt Nam News' app to read our newspapers everyday