Vietnamese ambassador to Turkey Nguyen The Cuong recently handed over documents protesting against China’s illegal placement of the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone to Turkey and a number of other countries.

On June 18 Cuong presented a letter by Tran Van Hang, Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly Committee on External Relations, to Volkan Bozkir, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

He briefed his host on the result of an international press conference on the latest developments in the East Sea, held in Hanoi on June 16, and proposed that the National Assembly, government, and people of Turkey support Vietnam’s struggle for justice.

The same day, Cuong handed out documents on China’s illegal actions in the East Sea to ambassadors of ASEAN countries at the annual meeting the ASEAN-Ankara Committee.

On June 20, ambassador Cuong gave East Sea documents to Japanese ambassador to Turkey Yutaka Yokoi who described Chinese actions as illegal and unacceptable.

China has carried out provocative acts against not only Vietnam, but also Japan and other countries in the region, he said.

He also condemned China for sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat near Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago in late May.

Ambassador informs Norwegian parliament of East Sea tension

Vietnamese Ambassador to Norway Le Thi Tuyet Mai has informed the Norwegian Parliament of the current tension in the East Sea after China illegally positioned its drilling rig in Vietnam’s waters in early May.

Meeting President of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of the Norwegian Parliament Anniken Huitfeldt on June 20, Ambassador Mai noted that on May 2, China stationed its rig Haiyang Shiyou-981, escorted by a large fleet of coast guard vessels, battleships and military airplane, deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

Mai clarified China’s wrongful move as well as Vietnam’s constant stance of demanding China immediately remove the rig as well as all escort ships out of Vietnam’s waters.

Vietnam also requests China to cooperate with it in seeking peaceful solution to the issue in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, she said.

The ambassador also handed over the letter of head of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Affairs Tran Van Hang to Huitfeldt, proposing that she deliver to Norwegian parliamentarians the statement of the Vietnam National Assembly on the illegal actions of China.

The diplomat also called on the Norwegian Parliament as well as the parliaments of other countries across the world to raise their subjective voice and standing side by side with Vietnam in protecting justice, preserving the values of international law and requesting China to withdraw its rig and escort ships out of Vietnam’s waters without delay.

Huitfeldt expressed her concern over the issue, stating that international law must be the basis for solutions to current disputes, especially those in the East Sea.

She also pledged to convey Hang’s proposal of head of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Affairs Tran Van Hang to all Norwegian parliamentarians.

At the beginning of May 2014, China illegally dispatched its oil rig as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude, 80 miles deep into Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

Despite Vietnam’s protest, China expanded its scale of operation and moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude, 60 nautical miles deep inside Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

China’s armed vessels have aggressively and consistently fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

Chinese ships have also continuously encircled, constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats operating normally in its traditional fishing ground near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago.