Hanoi (VNA) – US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Philippinecounterpart Hermogenes Esperon had phone talks on March 31 during which they expressed their shared concerns over Chinese activities in the South China Sea (known as theEast Sea in Vietnam), the White House said.
Sullivan underscored that the US stands with its Philippineallies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order.
The two sides agreed that theircountries will “continue to coordinate closely in responding to challenges inthe South China Sea," according to the White House.
At the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’sregular press conference on March 25, Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang replied to aquestion about many Chinese ships operating at Ba Dau (Whitsun) Reef inVietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.
She said Vietnam has sufficient legalground and historical evidence testifying to its sovereignty over Truong Sa inaccordance with international law.
As a coastal country and a member of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of theSea (UNCLOS), Vietnam is entitled to sovereignty, sovereign rights, andjurisdiction over its waters established in accordance with UNCLOS, Hang noted.
The operation of Chinese ships within the territorialwaters of Sinh Ton Dong (Grierson) Reef inVietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty and UNCLOS’sregulations on the operation of foreign vessels in the territorial waters of acoastal nation, run counter to the spirit and content of the Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and complicated the situation, whichis unfavourable for the negotiation on a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea betweenASEAN and China, she added.
The spokeswoman stressed that Vietnamdemands China end its violations; respect Vietnam’s sovereignty; implementUNCLOS with goodwill; seriously comply with the DOC, especially the obligationof exercising self-restraint and not complicating the situation; create afavourable environment for the COC negotiation; and contribute to themaintenance of peace, security, stability and legal order at sea in the region./.
