Vietnam Coast Guard officers during a mission in the East Sea. Photo: Vietnam Coast Guard

Since the first days of this year's July on, the Chinese oil survey vessel named Haiyang Dizhi 8 and its escorts comprising of armed as well as unarmed vessels made incursions into Vietnam's Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) in the East Sea, (internationally known as the South China Sea), and conducted activities in the sea’s southern waters.

According to the 1982 Convention of the United Nations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), this area lies totally within Vietnamese territorial waters. Therefore, with these acts, China commits outright and serious violation of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, as well as Vietnam’s sovereignty over this area, and international law.

It isn't the first time China ignored protests and warnings from Vietnam and the outside world. It isn't either the first time China intentionally defied international law to spark its territorial disputes with other countries in the East Sea region. China's strategic and tactical aims are to maintain and intensify its unlawful and unacceptable territorial claims in the East Sea.

By frequent and deliberately violating and defying other countries' sovereignty and international law in this region, China is aiming at creating precedent and fait accompli in its favor in this country’s irrational territorial claims with other countries in this region.

This country’s enforcement force intends not only to change the status quo but also to stir up uncertainty and instability in this region, thus easily perpetrating undercover and unlawful activities there in further violations of other countries’ legal sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests as well as international law in this region.

That is why China until now continues trying to avoid reaching any agreement with related countries on peaceful settlements of this issue and all other problems concerning peace, security and stability in and for this region. That is why China doesn't fully abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) of 2002 of which China is a signatory.

That is why China still undermines the successful conclusion of the negotiations between this country and ASEAN on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). China's practice follows this despicable scheme.

China's such acts and activities, argumentations and explanations are groundless and unacceptable for Vietnam and for the world. They contradict the spirit and words of all agreements between Vietnam and China relating to the settlements of issues arising in the East Sea. They threat peace, security, stability and cooperation in this region.

China must therefore immediately stop these actions and should not repeat them in the future. Hanoitimes

Ambassador Tran Duc Mau