Vietnam requests China to respect its exclusive economic zone

Vietnam asked China not to violate its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf after Bejing announced military drills in the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Le Thi Thu Hang on March 7 said "part of the area mentioned in the statement belongs to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS 1982).”

"Vietnam asked China to respect and not violate Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and not take actions to complicate the situation, thereby contributing to maintaining peace, security and stability in the East Sea."

This statement was made after the Maritime Safety Administration of China’s Hainan province announced the establishment of a no-go zone for military exercises in the South China Sea, southwest of Hainan Island. This decision is in effect until March 15.

Hang said that Vietnam always closely follows developments in the East Sea area and exercises its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction rights in the sea in line with international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS. “The Vietnamese side did communicate with China on this issue,” she said.

China recently held several drills in the South China Sea amid rising regional tensions. In mid-February, the Chinese navy sent a Type-903 supply ship and a hospital ship to conduct search and rescue drills, maritime logistics and live ammunition firing in the East Sea, but did not disclose the specific location.

Tensions in the East Sea area continue to escalate in the context of China’s naval expansion and its establishment of military outposts on illegally built artificial islands. Meanwhile, the US and Western countries such as the UK, France and Germany are increasing their military presence in the region.

The US also conducts many freedom of navigation patrols (FONOPs) in the South China Sea to challenge China's unreasonable sovereignty claims. The “nine-dash line” claim that China unilaterally draws is an unreasonable claim to almost the entire area of the East Sea.

China also illegally built seven rocks in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, turning them into artificial islands and militarizing them into outposts at sea.