Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Sydney (VNA) – China’s announcement of the establishment ofthe so-called “Xisha district” (Vietnam’sHoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago) and “Nansha district" (Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago) under “Sansha city” is“a provocation, illegal under international law,” said Professor CarlThayer from Australia’s University of New South Wales on April 19.
China’s action is a violation of the Declaration onthe Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and seriously undermines negotiations among China and ASEANmember states for a legally binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), hesaid.
It is a provocation because it goes against the spirit and content of the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlementof sea-related issues reached in October 2011. It also seriously affects Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction, whileundermining trust between the two countries, the scholar said.
Thayer cited Point 5 of the DOC, which states that "The Partiesundertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that wouldcomplicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability" in theEast Sea.
China’s unilateral action seriously complicates the situation and affects peace and stability in the East Sea, the professor said.
Earlier,the spokesperson of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said: “Vietnam has strongly affirmed many times that it has sufficient historicalevidence and legal foundation to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa andTruong Sa archipelagos.”
Vietnamstrongly protests the establishment of the so-called “Sansha city” and relatedacts as they seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty, she said.
Hangstressed that those moves of China are invalid and unrecognised, and they are notfavourable for the friendship among nations but further complicate thesituation in the East Sea, the region and the world.
“Vietnamdemands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, abolish its wrongfuldecisions related to the moves and not to commit similar acts in the future,”the spokesperson asserted./.
China’s action is a violation of the Declaration onthe Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and seriously undermines negotiations among China and ASEANmember states for a legally binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), hesaid.
It is a provocation because it goes against the spirit and content of the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlementof sea-related issues reached in October 2011. It also seriously affects Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction, whileundermining trust between the two countries, the scholar said.
Thayer cited Point 5 of the DOC, which states that "The Partiesundertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that wouldcomplicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability" in theEast Sea.
China’s unilateral action seriously complicates the situation and affects peace and stability in the East Sea, the professor said.
Earlier,the spokesperson of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said: “Vietnam has strongly affirmed many times that it has sufficient historicalevidence and legal foundation to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa andTruong Sa archipelagos.”
Vietnamstrongly protests the establishment of the so-called “Sansha city” and relatedacts as they seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty, she said.
Hangstressed that those moves of China are invalid and unrecognised, and they are notfavourable for the friendship among nations but further complicate thesituation in the East Sea, the region and the world.
“Vietnamdemands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, abolish its wrongfuldecisions related to the moves and not to commit similar acts in the future,”the spokesperson asserted./.
VNA
