On May 18, Vietnam condemned recent activities taken in the South China Sea by a Chinese research ship and the Philippine coast guard. Accusing its neighbours of taking separate actions that violated its sovereignty.
Disputed areas of the South China Sea, one of the busiest commercial lanes in the world. And a conduit for more than US$3 trillion in annual shipborne trade, are currently experiencing high levels of tension.
Recent days saw a number of confrontations between Vietnamese and Chinese ships. This is because as Chinese research ship passed into Hanoi’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). As experts believed was probably conducting a survey. If someone were to conduct such a survey without consent, it would often receive negative views.
Pham Thu Hang Statement
Asked for comment, Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang told a press conference those vessels were “violating the sovereign rights and jurisdictions of Vietnam”, which was taking “appropriate measures” to defend its rights.
China has said that scientific research is a normal activity in areas under Chinese jurisdiction.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory. This is based on what it says are old maps.
It includes waters that lie within the EEZ of Vietnam and four other Southeast Asian countries.
The Philippines also faced rebuke for placing navigational buoys in five areas of its EEZ. This is to assert sovereignty over the hotly disputed Spratly islands, which Vietnam also claims.
Asked about the Philippines’ move, Hang said: “Vietnam strongly opposes all acts violating Vietnam’s sovereign rights.”
Philippine Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza said Manila’s coast guard’s installation of buoys was consistent with the country’s rights. As a coastal state under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“Daza told Reuters in a phone message that they are meant to improve the safety of navigation in our waters and should not be a cause for concern.”