Sovereign national conference

Vietnam rejects Beijing’s South China Sea claims at United Nations

April 7, 2020 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – Vietnam said China’s claims go beyond the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations on March 30 sent a dispatch turning down China’s claims on the South China Sea, local media reported.

Vietnam made the protest after Beijing dismissed the Philippines and Malaysia’s dispatches to the UN in which the two nations blamed China for unilaterally claiming the majority of the sea.

A Vietnamese soldier at Truong Sa islands in the South China Sea. Photo: Hoang Truong via VnExpress

“Vietnam strongly protests China’s claims revealed in the dispatches as they violate Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdictions in the South China Sea,” stated the dispatch sent to the UN.

The Vietnamese mission reiterated that Vietnam has historical evidence and legal basis to assert its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands in the South China Sea, which is known as the East Sea in Vietnam.

“Vietnam rejects China’s claim rights that go beyond the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and infringe on the UNCLOS-based rights of the other claimants.” Vietnam said that UNCLOS is the sole source for rights over waters.

The Vietnamese mission affirmed that Vietnam keeps its consistent stance on the issue. It requires the UN general secretary to circulate Vietnam’s dispatch to all UNCLOS members and UN state members.

On March 23, 2020, China sent a dispatch to the UN protesting the Philippines’ documents, saying that Beijing has legal rights to Nansha (which is Vietnam’s Truong Sa or Spratly) and surrounding waters and has historical and legal evidence of the sea.

On December 12, 2019, China sent dispatch to the UN to protest Malaysia’s accusations of Beijing’s claims, saying that it has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters, and enjoys sovereign rights and jurisdiction rights over the relevant waters as well as the seabed and subsoil thereof. It means that the sea covers Vietnam’s Hoang Sa.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung said at an international conference in Hanoi in November 2019 that Vietnam preferred negotiations but did have other options for the disputed waterway, according to Reuters.

“We know that these measures include fact-finding, mediation, conciliation, negotiation, arbitration and litigation measures,” Trung said.

“The UN Charter and UNCLOS 1982 have sufficient mechanisms for us to apply those measures,” he added, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an international treaty defining maritime territorial rights.

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea where it has established military outposts on artificial islands, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have overlapping claims.

China increases activities to monopolize East Sea

August 2, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, tensions in the East Sea have increased.

China’s policy in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) in 2020 remains unchanged: Promoting illegal claims, while further undermining the claims of Southeast Asian countries through on-field activities as well as domestic policy and propaganda activities.

Aggression on the field

In 2020, China continued to use outposts on the Hoang Sa Archipelago (Paracel Islands) and Truong Sa Archipelago (Spratly Islands) of Vietnam to support naval and coast guard operations.

Since the beginning of 2020, Chinese maritime law enforcement vessels have been present continuously in the East Sea. Its 5302 coast guard vessel was present at a number of island features of Spratly Islands in March.

The Chinese coast guard force has become increasingly aggressive in the East Sea, threatening ships of other countries. Photo: SCMP/AP

At 3 a.m. on April 2, 2020 when a Vietnamese fishing vessel was operating in the waters of Truong Sa Archipelago, it was attacked by a Chinese ship and it sank. The next day, China threatened two other Vietnamese fishing boats which came to help the sunken ship and took them to Phu Lam (Woody) Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa Archipelago. In the evening of that day, China released these two ships and eight fishermen from the sunken fishing boat.

Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at RAND (USA) said that the case in which a Vietnamese fishing ship was attacked by a Chinese coast guard vessel and sunk showed that “China is ready to use force to ensure its East Sea claims”.

On April 23, 2020 Philippine naval ships patrolling the area around the Malampaya oil field were pointed at by the Chinese warship 541. On May 5, 2020 three Chinese Coast Guard ships appeared near the Scarborough Shoal in the East Sea. About 40 nautical miles away, a Filipino ship was drilling for oil exploration. In addition, the Chinese coast guard illegally confiscated fishing equipment of a Filipino fisherman. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note protesting this action.

In the Nam Con Son basin, China encroached upon Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone when on the morning of July 15, 2020 Chinese coast guard ships entered block 06.01, where Vietnam was conducting oil and gas exploration activities, for the 4th time.

In addition, China also deployed reconnaissance aircraft on Chu Thap (Fiery Cross Reef) of Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago. Jane’s (UK) news site on May 12,2020 cited satellite images showing the Chinese navy’s aircrafts on the Fiery Cross Reef.

In August, the Chinese army deployed H-6J bombers to Woody Island. In October, they dispatched ships and aircraft to track the US John S. McCain guided-fire destroyer when this ship was conducting free navigation operations (FONOP) near Hoang Sa Archipelago.

Using domestic law to reinforce unauthorized claims

Establishment of “Xisha” and “Nansha”

On April 18, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China blatantly announced that the State Council had just approved the establishment of the so-called “Xisha” and “Nansha” of Sanya City, Hainan Province.

According to the Chinese side, the “Xisha authorities” manage the islands of the so-called “Xisha archipelago” (Hoang Sa archipelago of Vietnam), the Macclesfield and the surrounding waters.

Phu Lam (Woody) Island, which belongs to Hoang Sa archipelago of Vietnam, is illegally occupied by China. Photo: CSIS/AMTI

China placed the so-called “Xisha authorities” on Phu Lam Island – the largest structure in the Hoang Sa archipelago, while the “Nansha authorities” “manages” the islands of the “Nansha archipelago” (Vietnam’s Truong Sa Archipelago) and its surrounding waters, the so-called “Nansha authorities” are stationed in the Fiery Cross Reef – a structure belonging to Truong Sa Archipelago that China militarized recently.

Promoting civil activities on artificial islands

China is building self-sufficiency of artificially entities that were illegally built in the East Sea to bring more people, including soldiers and “civilians”, to these places.

The Chinese navy teamed up with Chongqing University to test new technology on a 300 square meter of land in Phu Lam Island and after one month they harvested more than 750 kilograms of vegetables thanks to the technology of growing vegetables on sand. This technology will be replicated to other entities illegally occupied by China in the East Sea.

Declaring standard titles for illegally-occupied entities

On April 19, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China announced the so-called “standard titles of 25 islands and rocks in the East Sea” and “55 geographic island features on the bottom of the East Sea”.

These entities are concentrated mainly in the western part of the East Sea, located along the so-called “cow’s tongue line”. Notably, among these entities there are shoals located deep within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, and some are less than 60 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast or about 50 nautical miles from the Vietnamese baseline.

A list of 80 island features was posted on the website of China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, changing the concept of “coastal waters”.

China recently announced the amended (effective from August 1, 2020) “Technical rules for inspection according to the law of ships in domestic voyages” which was issued in 1974.

In this document, China established the so-called “Hainan-Xisha navigation water”. This area is located between 2 points on Hainan Island and 3 points on the Hoang Sa Archipelago.

China has also changed the term, calling this area “coastal water”, replacing the previous “offshore water” phrase. Meanwhile, the islands of the Hoang Sa Archipelago only have a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles, which is incapable of creating exclusive economic zones to create “coastal zones” as determined by China.

Announcing the newly revised Armed Police Law

On June 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an order to publish the newly revised Law on People’s Armed Police Force. The new law makes it clear that armed police are responsible for enforcing law enforcement at sea through Coast Guard forces.

Under this law, the Coast Guard is more integrated into the military forces, participating in training, drills and rescue operations with the Navy. And in emergency situations, the Central Military Commission will assume power to control the Coast Guard.

A Chinese naval vessel approaches the Indonesian naval vessel that is on patrol near the Natuna Islands.

This move is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Coast Guard and the military, with the aim of increasing pressure on the East Sea and other disputed areas. With the revised law, the Coast Guard is actually “China’s second naval force” at sea.

Announcing the draft law, giving many privileges to the Coast Guard

The Coast Guard Bill was announced by Beijing on the website of the National People’s Congress on November 4 for referendum until December 3.

This bill empowers the Coast Guard, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction are infringed upon by foreign organizations or individuals at sea or in the face of the risk of being illegally violated.

The artificial islands that China illegally filled, renovated and built in the East Sea are placed within the scope of the Coast Guard’s protection.

The Coast Guard is allowed to remove constructions built by foreign countries in waters under “management” of this force. In addition, the Coast Guard is allowed to confiscate and destroy foreign ships if they “illegally encroach on the waters” of China.

It can be seen that the bill is a step to strengthen the cooperation between the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Navy, creating a premise for the Coast Guard to increase its presence in the seas.

Fishing ban

The fishing ban in the East Sea started from 12 a.m. on May 1 to 12 p.m. on August 16, 2020. The restricted area stretches from the northern waters of the East Sea to 12-degree north latitude, including part of the Gulf of Tonkin and Hoang Sa archipelago under Vietnamese sovereignty.

Propaganda of false sovereignty claims

China has issued irrational sovereignty claims in the East Sea through many forms such as inserting the “cow’s tongue line” in conference documents…

On March 16, on Facebook and Twitter of the Chinese Embassy in Italy, an article about the solidarity between the two countries attached a picture of the “cow’s tongue line”.

China has subtly incorporated the “cow’s tongue line” in movies, from “Operation Red Sea” (March 2018), “Abominable” in October 2019, to “Go Ahead” in 2020.

Rejecting the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s ruling, interpreting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in a way that benefits China

Since the PCA issued its ruling in 2016, Chinese scholars have written a series of articles rejecting the PCA’s authority as well as the PCA’s ruling.

China also interpreted relevant provisions of the UNCLOS in its own favor. They interpreted Article 8 of the Foreword: “Matters not covered by the Convention will continue to be governed by the rules and principles of general international law” to affirm that “UNCLOS does not cover all matters at sea”.

Since then, China has interpreted and applied international practice in its own favor, making claims on the establishment of baselines and territorial waters of an archipelagic state to apply to the Truong Sa Archipelago (Spratlys) and Hoang Sa (Paracels), or making claims to “contiguous waters” and sovereignty over “related waters”, concepts that do not appear in international law.

Directing criticism to the outside, especially the US

Articles by Chinese authors all lead to the conclusion that the US is a key factor “destroying a stable peace situation” and “militarizing” the East Sea, or that the US is the country that wants to dominate the East Sea through the exercising of freedom of navigation in this sea.

China has tried to spread and advertise itself as a peace-loving, responsible, country that is compliant with international law.

But in reality, these images and China’s actions are not compatible with each other. China’s propaganda about the East Sea is mostly wrong, but it promoted propaganda to make these wrong views ingrained into the perception of domestic and international public opinion.

Hoang Viet

China changes sovereignty claim in the East Sea: hope or illusion?

“This is the time for China to give up the 9-dash line. This does not affect their interests,” said Dr. Li Nan, a research fellow at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore, at a recent online seminar on the East Sea.

June 22-28: ASEAN member states cohesive and responsive in overcoming difficulties

June 29, 2020 by en.nhandan.org.vn

ASEAN member states cohesive and responsive in overcoming difficulties

The 36th ASEAN Summit, held via video conference under the chair of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in his capacity as ASEAN Chair 2020, has come to a productive conclusion. This was the first time ASEAN’s regular summit was held in the form of a video conference, due to the context of the global COVID-19 outbreak.

During the event, ASEAN leaders focused on discussing an array of issues, including controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting economic recovery and intra-bloc cooperation; building a strong ASEAN Community according to set goals; expanding ASEAN’s external relations with its partners in the spirit of mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation, and upholding ASEAN’s central role in the region; pledging to maintain a peaceful and stable environment for cooperation, sustainable development and prosperity; and upholding the spirit of goodwill and compliance with international law in addressing regional differences. The conference adopted the ASEAN Leaders’ Vision Statement on a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN: Rising Above Challenges and Sustaining Growth. This is considered a guideline for ASEAN to be confident in its upcoming strategic steps.

Vietnam underlines importance of UN Charter on 75th anniversary

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has sent a message to the United Nations General Assembly on the 75th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter. In his message, the Vietnamese official highlighted the importance of the UN Charter, which sets out the fundamental principles of modern international relations, including the principles of sovereign equality, political independence, the territorial integrity of states, and the prohibition of threat or use of force.

With the signing of the charter, the UN was founded as a global organisation that could unite countries for peace and socio-economic progress, Minh said, adding that it has created an international cooperation framework with a magnitude never before seen in human history. He pledged that Vietnam will always abide by the charter and make efforts to strengthen multilateral cooperative mechanisms at both global and regional levels, especially in the UN and ASEAN.

ADB: Vietnam’s currency bonds post healthy growth amid COVID-19

Vietnam’s local currency bond market posted a healthy 9.5% quarter-on-quarter growth in the first quarter of 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest issue of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Asia Bond Monitor. In its report, issued on June 25, ADB said that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect local currency bond markets in the emerging East Asian region as investment sentiment wanes globally and in the region and containment measures limit economic activity.

As COVID-19 has been brought under control in Vietnam, the nation’s local currency bond market still posted a healthy 9.5% growth in the first quarter of 2020, reaching US$57.6 billion at the end of March. This can be attributed to a strong growth rate in the government bond segment, growing 10.5% quarter-on-quarter, reaching US$53.3 billion and accounting for 92.6% of the country’s total bond stocks. Corporate bonds, however, contracted 1.7% quarter-on-quarter, reaching US$4.2 billion by the end of March, mostly owing to the absence of new issuances over the review period.

Vietnam attracts US$15.67 billion in FDI in six months

Workers at an electronic spare parts manufacturing company (Illustrative image. Photo: VNA)

The total foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam between the beginning of this year and June 20 reached US$15.67 billion, equivalent to 84.9% of the figure for same period last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

There were 1,418 newly licenced projects during the Jan-June period, with registered capital of US$8.44 billion. There were 526 licenced projects from previous years registered as having adjusted their investment capital with additional capital of US$3.7 billion, up 26.8%. During the six-month period, 4,125 foreign investors contributed capital and purchased shares with a total value of nearly US$3.51 billion, up 2.6%.

Two Vietnamese universities win places in QS rankings

On June 24, UK educational organisation Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) announced that two Vietnamese universities have made it into the QS Top 50 Under 50 2021, which ranks the world’s best universities founded within the past 50 years. The Vietnam National University in Hanoi and Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City have placed in the 101-150 group.

This is the first time the Vietnam National University in Hanoi has entered the rankings. Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City was the only Vietnamese representative to make the QS Top 50 Under 50 last year.

Vietnam Family Festival 2020 opens in Hanoi

Delegates cut the ribbon to open the 2020 Vietnam Family Festival. (Photo: Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports)

The 2020 Vietnam Family Festival officially opened at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre for Culture and Arts in Hanoi on the evening of June 26, offering a host of activities to celebrate Vietnam Family Day (June 28).

Entitled “Preserve and promote cultural traditions and good behaviours within the family”, the three-day festival features an array of exhibitions and artistic events honouring the values of Vietnam’s family culture, including exhibitions on families in the cultural traditions of Vietnam’s ethnic groups and the role of women and mothers, alongside a book exhibition aiming to promote reading culture in building cohesion, love and sharing between family members.

Winners of UPU letter-writing contest announced

Close to 600,000 letters were sent from around Vietnam to the 49th holding of the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s International Letter-Writing Competition, for children under the age of 15. The contest tasked students to “Write a message to an adult about the world we live in.” Contestants sent heart-wrenching letters on the pressing issues of today, such as COVID-19, environmental protection, and plastic pollution, or mulling over the concept of happiness and kindness in the modern world.

Many stories featured the true values of love, family, and friends in the digital era, and also the pressure children must bear these days, while others spoke out against domestic violence and dreamed of a better world for children. The first prize was awarded to Phan Hoang Phuong Nhi, a seventh-grader at Duy Tan Middle School in Hue City, the capital of the central province of Thua Thien Hue, in a ceremony held in Hanoi on June 26.

Vietnamese noodles named among Asia’s best by CNN Travel

“Cao lau” rice noodles are a specialty of Hoi An ancient town in central Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Three types of Vietnamese noodles found their place on a list of Asia’s best noodles put together by CNN Travel to provide a beginner’s guide to popular Asian noodles made from ingredients such as rice, starch, wheat, and vegetables.

“Pho” noodles are said to be a thinner version of flat noodles, made from rice and like luxurious silk bedding – slippery and comforting. “Bun”, meanwhile, are rice stick noodles worshipped for their slippery texture and mild fragrance. CNN Travel wrote that “bun” noodles are often served cold with grilled meat, herbs, and a diluted vinegary fish sauce for dipping in Vietnam. Last but not least, “Cao lau” rice noodles are a specialty of Hoi An Ancient Town in central Vietnam.

Vietnam voices serious concern over China’s newly-enacted Coast Guard Law

January 30, 2021 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – Vietnam vows to conduct all possible measures to defend its legitimate sovereignty and jurisdiction in the East Sea.

Countries need to comply with international laws and treaties in making maritime laws related to the East Sea (refer to the South China Sea), Spokesperson of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press conference held in Hanoi on January 29.

Spokesperson of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo: Viet Linh

Ms. Hang made the call while responding to a reporter’s query regarding the China’s Coast Guard Law, which was passed by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the top legislative body of China, on January 22.

She opposed the China’s law that allows the agency to “take all necessary measures, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction are being illegally infringed upon by foreign organizations or individuals at sea.”

“In making law on maritime, all countries are obliged to follow international law and treaties that they are signatory, mostly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS),” Ms. Hang said.

“Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in accordance with international law; sovereignty, sovereignty rights, and jurisdiction on waters defined in the UNCLOS; and determined to conduct all possible measures to defend the legitimate rights,” Ms. Hang said.

Vietnam demands countries to respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereignty rights, and jurisdiction in the East Sea and be responsible for enforcing international law and UNCLOS without taking action that possibly escalate tension, actively contributing to building trust, maintaining peace and stability, and promoting maritime security in the sea.

International media reported that the law for the first time explicitly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that could make the contested South China Sea and nearby waters choppier. It also allows demolition of other countries’ structures built on Chinese-claimed reefs.

China has maritime sovereignty disputes in the East China Sea with Japan and in the South China Sea with several Southeast Asian countries namely Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Chinese coast guard has chased away fishing vessels from other countries, harassed foreign fishermen within their waters, sometimes resulting in the sinking of these ships and causing deaths.

Japan, UK concerned about China maritime law

February 4, 2021 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – The two countries see China’s escalating influence and military activity in the region as a security threat.

Four ministers from Japan and the UK have expressed serious concern over China’s newly-enacted Coast Guard Law that is implicit to change the status quo in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, left, and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi attend a video conference with their British counterparts. Photo: AP

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi of Japan, and their respective British counterparts Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace showed their concern in the joint statement released on February 3 after an online meeting, reported Reuters.

“The four ministers reaffirmed the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight above the South China Sea and urged all parties to exercise self-restraint and refrain from activities likely to raise tensions,” the statement said.

According to AP, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in online talks between the two sides “Japan is staying alert and paying close attention to its effect on us.” “I believe the law should not be used in a way that violates international law.”

The concern came two days after the China’s Coast Guard Law took effect. The law enables Chinese Coast Guard to “take all necessary measures, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction are being illegally infringed upon by foreign organizations or individuals at sea.”

It means that the law explicitly allows the coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, authorize demolition of other countries’ structures built on Chinese-claimed reefs, and to seize or order foreign vessels illegally entering China’s territorial waters to leave.

China claims almost all the resources-rich South China Sea, where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.

In the East China Sea, China claims a group of uninhabited Japanese-administered islets, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The dispute has plagued bilateral relations for years.

Japan sees China’s escalating influence and military activity in the region as a security threat and has been stepping up defense cooperation with the US, Australia, Southeast Asian countries, as well as Britain.

In the joint statement, the ministers urged all parties “to exercise self-restraint and refrain from activities likely to raise tensions, in particular militarization and coercion.”

The ministers also agreed to deepen defense and security cooperation between Japan and Britain to ensure a “free and open Indo-Pacific” vision.

Japan and Britain are jointly developing an air-to-air missile defense system and increasing the inter-operability of defense equipment and technology as their troops work together more closely.