MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' SPOKESMAN MR. LE DZUNG
ANSWERS QUESTION ON 16 MAY 2009

On 16 May 2009, in response to correspondents’ question over Vietnam’s reaction to the fishing ban by China on some sea areas including that of Vietnam's sovereignty in the Eastern Sea, that took effect from 16 May to 1 August 2009,  Vietnam's Foreign Affairs Spokesman Le Dung said:

"Vietnam reaffirms its sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and  Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes.

All activities in these archipelagos as well as Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf undertaken by foreign parties without consent of Vietnam are in violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over these areas.

In process of seeking a fundamental and long-term solution to the disputes in the Eastern Sea, Vietnam holds that the parties concerned should observe the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), refrain from taking actions to complicate the situation, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and co-operation in the region."