(MOFA) - On 26 August 2020, in response to queries about Viet Nam’s reaction to China’s military drills in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands of Viet Nam, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang stated:

China’s repeated military exercises in the Hoang Sa Islands violate Viet Nam's sovereignty over the islands, go against the spirit of the Declaration of Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), complicate the situation and are not conducive to the negotiation between China and ASEAN on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) and the maintenance of peaceful, stable and  cooperative environment in the South China Sea.

Viet Nam demands that China respect Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Islands, cancel and not repeat such violations.