China’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 deep intoVietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone has raisedindignation among domestic and international opinion, including manyNational Assembly deputies of Vietnam. State President Truong Tan Sanghas granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on this issue.
The following is the full text of the interview:
1. Reporter: Mr. President, please tell us about thecurrent state of Vietnam – China relations after China placed its oilrig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 rig deep into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zoneand continental shelf?
President Sang: On May 2,China illegally placed its rig deep within Vietnam’s exclusive economiczone and continental shelf. China has unilaterally violated thehigh-level bilateral agreement on basic principles guiding thesettlement of sea-related issues and international law, including theUnited Nations Charter, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea and the ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties inthe East Sea (DOC).
The Party, State and peopleof Vietnam always treasure and strive to strengthen the friendshipbetween the people of Vietnam and China. We want to maintain peace andstability for national development, as Vietnam has suffered huge lossesand devastation after several decades of wars. At the same time weexpect China to do the same.
As I said to votersin Ho Chi Minh City just after the start of the incident, we will notaccept it when any country, regardless of how strong it is, forces us toconcede the sacred territory and sovereignty of our fatherland. Vietnamhas sufficient historical and legal evidence proving our sovereigntyover Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, and theexclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with internationallaw. We are determined to protect every inch of our land or sea fromviolation. For every Vietnamese, national territorial sovereignty issacred and sacrosanct.
2. Reporter: How did the Party Central Committee respond to the incident at its recent ninth session?
President Sang: The ninth session of the 11 th Party CentralCommittee spent considerable time debating this issue. Maintaining aconsistent stance, the committee and the Politburo have always affirmedthat the territorial sovereignty of the nation, including that ofVietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, is sacred andcannot be conceded. Our Vietnamese people, Party and State have enoughwill and resolve as well as a sufficient historical and legal basis tofight in safeguarding our national sovereignty. It is unacceptable thatstrong countries can defy morality and justice. Our people have gonethrough wars and fought bravely against invaders throughout thousands ofyears in our history. Following the recent incident, we can see thatfew countries or international organisations have voiced their supportfor China’s illegal placement of the rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 withinVietnam’s waters and its irrational nine-dot territorial claim. Legaland historical evidence shows that justice is on our side. The worldcommunity has shown a fairly clear attitude towards this.
3. Reporter: What is your assessment of Vietnamesepeople’s patriotism and their way to express this in the face of China’sillegal placement of its rig inside our country’ exclusive economiczone and continental shelf?
President Sang: Ourpeople have an ardent patriotic tradition. Every time the country’sindependence and sovereignty are threatened, Vietnamese people alwaysunite as one to defend the Fatherland.
I amdeeply moved by and respect the noble sentiment of our compatriots andcomrades. All people as one look towards the East Sea. Fishermen bravelystay on the front line at sea despite the threat and intimidation fromChinese ships, even when one fishing boat was sunk. They stay on thetraditional fishing grounds where many generations of ancestors havefished, refusing to yield. Vietnam’s law enforcement forces never givein; they courageously overcome all challenges to carry out their missionof safeguarding the Fatherland’s sacred sovereignty. People throughoutthe country express their patriotism in various creative ways.Vietnamese all over the world also voice their strong protest againstChina’s illegal act. We are resolved to defend our sovereignty bypeaceful measures on the basis of international law.
However, we should be vigilant against provocative words and acts inthe name of patriotism. When the country faces difficulties andchallenges, we should unite more than ever. It is obvious that divisionand provocation cannot help the country overcome challenges.
4.Reporter: Vietnam-China economic ties are an issue of greatinterest for the public, with many people saying Vietnam might becomedependent on China economically. What is your opinion about this?
President Sang: It has been nearly 30 years since our country beganthe Doi Moi (renewal) policy, and we have been consistent in followingdeep and wide integration into the world economy while building our ownindependent and self-reliant economy.
Under thispolicy, our country has established trade and investment relations withmore than 200 countries and territories. We have followed the motto ofbeing a friend and a reliable and responsible partner in theinternational community, co-existing peacefully with all nations overthe world on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.Pursuing the policy of diversifying and multi-lateralising relationswith other countries, we always strive for mutual benefit and resolutelyavoid becoming dependent on any country both economically orpolitically.
With this external relation policy,our country has reaped many important achievements, promoting nationaldevelopment and improving the people’s living standards. However, weshould frankly admit that this policy has not been carried out well insome fields, thus negatively affecting the economy.
Our economic and trade ties with China have seen a rapid developmentover recent years, but Vietnam’s trade deficit has been growing,particularly in the import of materials for production. Some of ourexports have focused too much on the Chinese market. In the field ofbidding for EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction), BOT(Build-Operate-Transfer) and equipment supply contracts in a number ofimportant economic sectors such as power, information andtelecommunications, Chinese investors won a large number of contracts,but the quality and technology of many such contracts are not high whilecosts usually inflate and the time of implementation is prolonged. Thissituation needs to be corrected as early as possible.
5. Reporter: Mr. President, an issue of great public concern is whatpolicy and solutions the Party and State have taken in response toChina’s rig, which is still operating illegally inside Vietnam’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
President Sang: Immediately after China illegally positioned its rigdeep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, theParty Central Committee and the Politburo promptly drafted outguidelines to deal with the incident. On the one hand, we firmly demandthat China remove the rig out of our country’s waters; on the otherhand, we patiently try to maintain a peaceful environment for nationalconstruction and the friendly neighbourliness with the Chinese people onthe basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit.
On the basis of the guidelines, relevant agencies of the Party,State, the National Assembly, the Government and the entire politicalsystem have joined the fight, conducting the diplomatic struggle bothbilaterally and multilaterally, carrying out activities at the sitethrough civilian law enforcement forces; while providing timely, regularand truthful information to help people in the country and over theworld have a clear understanding of what is going on. We have alwaysemployed peaceful measures while requesting China to show its good willto solve the problem by peaceful means in line with international lawand agreements between China and ASEAN, and between China and Vietnam.
Legal measures will be used when necessary to safeguard our country’s sovereignty and territory.
The struggle to defend national independence, sovereignty, nationalunification and territorial integrity will be long and hard, requiringus to be resolve, and at the same time calm and patience, in order to besuccessful.
Our Party and State are undertakingpolicies and measures to meet the just and passionate aspirations ofmore than 90 million Vietnamese. I would like to quote here the wordsthat King Le Thanh Tong once said to his royal court, which wererecorded in Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Complete Annals of Dai Viet):“How can we abandon even a single inch of our mountain, our river? Youmust firmly stand your ground, not letting them gradually encroach. Ifthey do not listen, we can send our envoys to the north to clarifyjustice. If you dare to concede even a single inch of the land of ourancestors to the enemy, it will be a crime deserving of death.”-VNA
The following is the full text of the interview:
1. Reporter: Mr. President, please tell us about thecurrent state of Vietnam – China relations after China placed its oilrig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 rig deep into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zoneand continental shelf?
President Sang: On May 2,China illegally placed its rig deep within Vietnam’s exclusive economiczone and continental shelf. China has unilaterally violated thehigh-level bilateral agreement on basic principles guiding thesettlement of sea-related issues and international law, including theUnited Nations Charter, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea and the ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties inthe East Sea (DOC).
The Party, State and peopleof Vietnam always treasure and strive to strengthen the friendshipbetween the people of Vietnam and China. We want to maintain peace andstability for national development, as Vietnam has suffered huge lossesand devastation after several decades of wars. At the same time weexpect China to do the same.
As I said to votersin Ho Chi Minh City just after the start of the incident, we will notaccept it when any country, regardless of how strong it is, forces us toconcede the sacred territory and sovereignty of our fatherland. Vietnamhas sufficient historical and legal evidence proving our sovereigntyover Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, and theexclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with internationallaw. We are determined to protect every inch of our land or sea fromviolation. For every Vietnamese, national territorial sovereignty issacred and sacrosanct.
2. Reporter: How did the Party Central Committee respond to the incident at its recent ninth session?
President Sang: The ninth session of the 11 th Party CentralCommittee spent considerable time debating this issue. Maintaining aconsistent stance, the committee and the Politburo have always affirmedthat the territorial sovereignty of the nation, including that ofVietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, is sacred andcannot be conceded. Our Vietnamese people, Party and State have enoughwill and resolve as well as a sufficient historical and legal basis tofight in safeguarding our national sovereignty. It is unacceptable thatstrong countries can defy morality and justice. Our people have gonethrough wars and fought bravely against invaders throughout thousands ofyears in our history. Following the recent incident, we can see thatfew countries or international organisations have voiced their supportfor China’s illegal placement of the rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 withinVietnam’s waters and its irrational nine-dot territorial claim. Legaland historical evidence shows that justice is on our side. The worldcommunity has shown a fairly clear attitude towards this.
3. Reporter: What is your assessment of Vietnamesepeople’s patriotism and their way to express this in the face of China’sillegal placement of its rig inside our country’ exclusive economiczone and continental shelf?
President Sang: Ourpeople have an ardent patriotic tradition. Every time the country’sindependence and sovereignty are threatened, Vietnamese people alwaysunite as one to defend the Fatherland.
I amdeeply moved by and respect the noble sentiment of our compatriots andcomrades. All people as one look towards the East Sea. Fishermen bravelystay on the front line at sea despite the threat and intimidation fromChinese ships, even when one fishing boat was sunk. They stay on thetraditional fishing grounds where many generations of ancestors havefished, refusing to yield. Vietnam’s law enforcement forces never givein; they courageously overcome all challenges to carry out their missionof safeguarding the Fatherland’s sacred sovereignty. People throughoutthe country express their patriotism in various creative ways.Vietnamese all over the world also voice their strong protest againstChina’s illegal act. We are resolved to defend our sovereignty bypeaceful measures on the basis of international law.
However, we should be vigilant against provocative words and acts inthe name of patriotism. When the country faces difficulties andchallenges, we should unite more than ever. It is obvious that divisionand provocation cannot help the country overcome challenges.
4.Reporter: Vietnam-China economic ties are an issue of greatinterest for the public, with many people saying Vietnam might becomedependent on China economically. What is your opinion about this?
President Sang: It has been nearly 30 years since our country beganthe Doi Moi (renewal) policy, and we have been consistent in followingdeep and wide integration into the world economy while building our ownindependent and self-reliant economy.
Under thispolicy, our country has established trade and investment relations withmore than 200 countries and territories. We have followed the motto ofbeing a friend and a reliable and responsible partner in theinternational community, co-existing peacefully with all nations overthe world on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.Pursuing the policy of diversifying and multi-lateralising relationswith other countries, we always strive for mutual benefit and resolutelyavoid becoming dependent on any country both economically orpolitically.
With this external relation policy,our country has reaped many important achievements, promoting nationaldevelopment and improving the people’s living standards. However, weshould frankly admit that this policy has not been carried out well insome fields, thus negatively affecting the economy.
Our economic and trade ties with China have seen a rapid developmentover recent years, but Vietnam’s trade deficit has been growing,particularly in the import of materials for production. Some of ourexports have focused too much on the Chinese market. In the field ofbidding for EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction), BOT(Build-Operate-Transfer) and equipment supply contracts in a number ofimportant economic sectors such as power, information andtelecommunications, Chinese investors won a large number of contracts,but the quality and technology of many such contracts are not high whilecosts usually inflate and the time of implementation is prolonged. Thissituation needs to be corrected as early as possible.
5. Reporter: Mr. President, an issue of great public concern is whatpolicy and solutions the Party and State have taken in response toChina’s rig, which is still operating illegally inside Vietnam’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
President Sang: Immediately after China illegally positioned its rigdeep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, theParty Central Committee and the Politburo promptly drafted outguidelines to deal with the incident. On the one hand, we firmly demandthat China remove the rig out of our country’s waters; on the otherhand, we patiently try to maintain a peaceful environment for nationalconstruction and the friendly neighbourliness with the Chinese people onthe basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit.
On the basis of the guidelines, relevant agencies of the Party,State, the National Assembly, the Government and the entire politicalsystem have joined the fight, conducting the diplomatic struggle bothbilaterally and multilaterally, carrying out activities at the sitethrough civilian law enforcement forces; while providing timely, regularand truthful information to help people in the country and over theworld have a clear understanding of what is going on. We have alwaysemployed peaceful measures while requesting China to show its good willto solve the problem by peaceful means in line with international lawand agreements between China and ASEAN, and between China and Vietnam.
Legal measures will be used when necessary to safeguard our country’s sovereignty and territory.
The struggle to defend national independence, sovereignty, nationalunification and territorial integrity will be long and hard, requiringus to be resolve, and at the same time calm and patience, in order to besuccessful.
Our Party and State are undertakingpolicies and measures to meet the just and passionate aspirations ofmore than 90 million Vietnamese. I would like to quote here the wordsthat King Le Thanh Tong once said to his royal court, which wererecorded in Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Complete Annals of Dai Viet):“How can we abandon even a single inch of our mountain, our river? Youmust firmly stand your ground, not letting them gradually encroach. Ifthey do not listen, we can send our envoys to the north to clarifyjustice. If you dare to concede even a single inch of the land of ourancestors to the enemy, it will be a crime deserving of death.”-VNA
