Spokesperson for the foreign affairs ministry Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam always supports and ensures the exercise of freedom of the press in the country, spokesperson for the foreign affairs ministry Lê Thị Thu Hằng said on Thursday during a media briefing in Hà Nội.

Responding to reporters’ questions on Việt Nam’s reaction to information from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 2020 report which alleges the Việt Nam Government is being increasingly restrictive in its control of the press, Hằng said: “We completely reject the untrue, unobjective and prejudiced information the CPJ put out with regards to the situation in Việt Nam."

The Vietnamese Government’s consistent commitment to press freedom is enshrined in Việt Nam’s 2013 Constitution and a wide range of related legal documents, and is evidenced via the strong growth of the press in Việt Nam in recent times, Hằng stated.

By the end of 2019, Việt Nam has 868 press agencies, 125 television channels, with mobile networks reaching 99.7 per cent of the population, the Vietnamese spokesperson said, adding that 64 million Vietnamese are using the internet and 62 million have social media accounts.

“All impressive numbers,” she added.

“In Việt Nam, just like in other rules-based government across the world, every citizen is equal in front of the law and anyone who commits legal violations will have to be handled in accordance with judiciary procedures as codified in the existing laws,” Hằng said. — VNS