Vietnam once again asserts that it has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence affirming its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Le Hai Binh has said.

China's illegal construction in Truong Sa.

He made the statement during a regular press conference in Hanoi on July 14 in reply to reporters’ queries about Vietnam’s stance on China’s July 11 announcement that it had successfully landed military aircraft on airports in Vanh Khan (Mischief) and Xubi (Subi) reefs in Vietnam’s Truong Sa.

Earlier on July 11, the Chinese Transport Ministry declared that it concluded the construction of four lighthouses and began building the fifth on features in Truong Sa archipelago.

Regardless of Vietnam’s protest and the international community’s concern, these actions by China have seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty. These are illegal and cannot change the truth about Vietnam’s sovereignty over Truong Sa and Hoang Sa, Binh said.

Vietnam requests China to immediately end violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty, seriously abide by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, as well as refrain from actions that complicate the East Sea issue, he stated.

At the conference, the spokesman revealed several external activities in the near future.

VNA