Vietnam requests China to respect its territorial sovereignty and stop all activities that violate Vietnam’s sovereignty of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi on March 15. China should stop violating Vietnam’s sovereignty: FM spokesman Recently, China continued to carry out activities at Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, specifically: Chinese Oil Company invited bids for 19 blocks in the northern East Sea, one nautical mile from the Tree Island of the Hoang Sa Archipelago. On March 2, China’s coast guard ship 11 conducted a drill on territorial waters belonging to Hoang Sa Archipelago. On March 7, Deputy Head of the China National Tourism Administration talked about cooperation between the administration and Hainan province’s administration in expanding tourism activities at the Hoang Sa Archipelago. The Chinese side also conducted a series of activities in violation of … [Read more...] about Vietnam protests China’s activities on Hoang Sa
Hoang sa
Quang Ngai: Sovereignty over Hoang Sa to be taught at schools
From the 2012-2013 school year, the central province of Quang Ngai will add local history into the official curricula at junior and senior secondary schools, said director Thai Van Dong of the local Department of Education and Training. Most of the 150 general schools in Quang Ngai have taught their students with extra lessons on Vietnam’s islands and sea, and the country’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) and Truong Sa (Spratly Islands) archipelagoes. However, because of lacking official documents, lessons are different at schools. Dong said that in the general curricula, which is taught at all schools in Vietnam, there are lessons about the country’s islands and sea. Quang Ngai province will have its own lessons about the province’s history, which are compiled by local educators. He said that through these lessons, students would be aware of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, to be proud of their … [Read more...] about Quang Ngai: Sovereignty over Hoang Sa to be taught at schools
US National Geographic Society to denote ‘Hoang Sa’ on maps
The NGS says on large-scale regional, continental and sectional maps, the NGS will use the conventional name – Paracel Islands with possession qualifier -- “occupied by China in 1974, which calls them Xisha Qundao; claimed by Vietnam , which calls them Hoang Sa”. For smaller-scale world maps, the NGS will use the conventional name of the Paracel Islands and omit the possession label, the statement said, adding that the new naming conventions had been adopted following the NGS’s Map Policy Committee’s recent discussions on the matter. The committee said based on the best information and research available, it wants to make “independent judgments about future changes or clarifications on its maps, as well as to correct any errors.” The NGS affirmed that these conventions will apply on future printings of its maps and will be reflected online in short order. However, a world map posted on the site still denotes “Paracel Is” with the … [Read more...] about US National Geographic Society to denote ‘Hoang Sa’ on maps
Researchers suggest solutions to reclaim Hoang Sa
Following Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s statement in a recent Q&A session at the National Assembly that Vietnam will reclaim its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands through peaceful measures, three Southeast Asian Sea Research Foundation experts have put forward some solutions for the issue. Many of Vietnam’s feudal dynasties from the 17th to the 19th centuries asserted its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa islands by regularly dispatching naval fleets to the archipelago to conduct surveys on natural resources, collect valuables from sunken boats, build temples and plant trees. The feudal administrations also collected tax from foreign boats operating in the sea areas around the islands and provided support to passing boats in distress. This enforcement of sovereignty took place over a course of three centuries and did not face any objections or disputes from any other countries, including China. This proves that Hoang Sa has not been a terra nullius since … [Read more...] about Researchers suggest solutions to reclaim Hoang Sa
Ten days in the sea of Hoang Sa
The fishermen who frequent the seas around the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago to earn their living can be seen as soldiers who guard Vietnam’s marine areas. They are living landmarks proving Vietnam’s centuries-old sovereignty over the Hoang Sa sea. Ten days in the sea of Hoang Sa Hoang Sa exhibition draws foreign visitors China seizes more Vietnamese citizens from Hoang Sa VietNamNet reporter Vu Trung spent ten days in the sea of Hoang Sa on a fishing boat. Before the boat set out, he was advised to throw his camera, laptop and documents into the sea if the boat was chased by Chinese ships and to take care of himself if the boat was captured by Chinese. This is a somewhat abridged English language version of the VietNamNet special report by Vu Trung. Going to the Hoang Sa sea I asked a lot of boat owners before one agreed that I might accompany the crew of an offshore fishing boat to Hoang Sa. Before the trip, the boat owner warned me against possible dangers if this … [Read more...] about Ten days in the sea of Hoang Sa