Thi Tu Island belongs to Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago. Photo: philstar.com

She made the statement in response to a question regarding the Philippines’ recent naming of four sandbanks and two coral reefs near Thi Tu Island in Truong Sa archipelago.

“All activities conducted in the Spratlys without Vietnam’s permission are completely invalid,” the spokesperson said. 

She repeated Vietnam’s consistent view that all activities by parties in the East Sea must comply with international law and respect countries’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, as specified in line with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as the content and spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, to help maintain peace, security, and stability in the waters.

“Vietnam’s consistent view is that the actions of all parties involved in the East Sea must follow international law, pay respect to sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of other countries defined in line with the UNCLOS, observe the spirit and the content of Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and ensure that their actions have meaningful contributions to the maintenance of peace and stability in the East Sea,” she said.

Thanh Nam