The Hanoitimes - Given China’s aggressiveness in the sea, Vietnam and the Philippines are calling for the completion and implementation of a Code of Conduct (COC) draft in the disputed region. World experts gather in Vietnam for South China Sea issues following recent tensions Vietnam's top diplomat discusses South China Sea issues in Manila Vietnam and the Philippines taken steps together in settling maritime issues in the South China Sea, to which Vietnam refers as the East Sea, amid escalating tensions in the region which China claims the majority. Vietnamese Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and Filipino Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in Hanoi on March 10. Photo: Tienphong Earlier this month, Filipino Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana visited Vietnam for a bilateral meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich. The Philstar quoted Delfin Lorenzana as saying that the two sides discussed how to navigate the issue in the face of the … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Philippines stand side by side in South China Sea security
Map spratly islands south china sea
Vietnam slams Taiwan’s live-fire drill on South China Sea
By Khanh Lynh  October 26, 2018 | 08:45 am GMT+7 Ba Binh (Itu Aba) Island as seen on Google Maps. The Foreign Ministry has denounced Taiwan's live-fire drill plan near the Spratly Archipelago as a serious violation of Vietnam's sovereignty. “We are closely following the situation and developments in the East Sea,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday, using the Vietnamese name for the waterway. She was responding to a question about Taiwan’s plan on holding a three-day live-fire drill around Ba Binh Island, internationally known as Itu Aba, beginning November 21. Taiwan will use 40mm grenade launchers and other weapons in the drill supposed to cover a radius of eight kilometers. Ba Binh, the largest naturally occurring island in the Truong Sa Archipelago, which Vietnam asserts sovereignty over, is currently occupied by Taiwan. Hang reiterated that Vietnam has full legal grounds and historical evidence to assert … [Read more...] about Vietnam slams Taiwan’s live-fire drill on South China Sea
US warship sails near South China Sea area claimed by Beijing
An American warship has sailed through waters off the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, in the latest implicit challenge to Beijing's sweeping territorial claims in the region, the Pentagon said on Sunday (Sep 30). This US Navy photo shows the Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) as it operates in the South China Sea. (AFP/Petty Officer 2ndClass Diana QUINLAN) "Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur conducted a freedom of navigation operation," an official told AFP. "Decatur sailed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs in the Spratly Islands." Map showing claims and major outposts on the disputed Spratly Islands. (AFP/Gal ROMA) The official said all US military operations in the area "are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows." The 12-mile distance is commonly accepted as constituting the territorial waters of a landmass. … [Read more...] about US warship sails near South China Sea area claimed by Beijing
Facebook apologizes for map that violates Vietnam’s sovereignty
By Viet Tuan  July 5, 2018 | 11:28 pm GMT+7 Facebook said it had removed the wrongful depictions of the islands. The map's wrongful depiction of Paracel and Spratly Islands as part of China was stated to be a technical error. Facebook has issued an apology to its Vietnamese users for an incident involving a wrongful depiction of the country's sovereignty on a map used by the company. In a press release issued Thursday, the social networking giant claimed that the issue with a map used for the Facebook advertising tool was a technical error and a patch to fix it was being deployed globally. Facebook then apologized for the mistake and claimed that the company had explained itself to the Vietnamese government and fixed the issue as requested. The mistake was discovered after Vietnamese users using Facebook's advertising tool found that the tool's map did not include Paracel (Hoang Sa) and Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands as part of Vietnam. The map however … [Read more...] about Facebook apologizes for map that violates Vietnam’s sovereignty
Facebook removes Paracel, Spratly Islands from China’s map at Vietnam’s request
By Viet Tuan  July 2, 2018 | 11:17 pm GMT+7 Facebook removed Paracel, Spratly Islands from China's map. A map used for Facebook advertising previously showed the islands, which are under Vietnam's sovereignty, as part of China. Social networking giant Facebook has complied with a request by the Vietnamese government regarding a wrongful depiction of its sovereignty. As of Monday afternoon, a map used for Facebook's advertising tool was found to have completely removed Paracel (Hoang Sa) and Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. Previously, the map wrongfully depicted the islands, which are under Vietnam's sovereignty, as part of China. The adjustment was made after Vietnamese information authorities on Sunday issued a request for Facebook to take immediate actions to correct the map's misinformation regarding the islands' sovereignty. Vietnam's Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under … [Read more...] about Facebook removes Paracel, Spratly Islands from China’s map at Vietnam’s request