Professor Vladimir Kolotov from St Petersburg University (Photo: Facebook)Moscow (VNA) - China’s announcement of the establishment of theso-called “Xisha district” (Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago) and “Nanshadistrict” (Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago) within the new “Sanshacity” will escalate tensions in the region, a Russian researcher on Vietnamese studieshas said.
The move will backfire and threaten stability in East Asia, Professor VladimirKolotov from St Petersburg University told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s correspondents inRussia.
The East Sea issue, he said, should be addressed on the basis of internationallaw.
In addition to taking advantage of its roles as a non-permanent member ofthe United Nations Security Council and ASEAN Chair 2020, he suggested Vietnam step up people-to-peoplediplomacy through friendship associations with other countries.
Several Russian news agencies and newspapers also posted articles regardingthe protest by Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang on the establishmentof the two districts within the so-called “Sansha city”.
On April 19, Hang said that Vietnam strongly protests the establishmentof the so-called “Sansha city” and related acts, as they seriously violate Vietnam’ssovereignty.
“Vietnam has affirmed many times that it has sufficient historical evidenceand legal foundation to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos,” Hang said.
She stressed that any moves by China are invalid and unrecognised, harm friendshipamong nations, and further complicate the situation in the East Sea, the region,and the world.
“Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, abolish its wrongfuldecisions relating to these recent moves, and not commit any similar acts in thefuture,” she said./.
VNA
