US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper (Photo: AFP)Hanoi (VNA) – US Secretary of DefenceMark Esper on August 26 warned that China’s plan to modernise military forceswill embolden its provocative behaviours in the South China Sea, which iscalled the East Sea in Vietnam, and the East China Sea.
In a keynote speech at an event in Hawaii,Esper said China has fallen short of its promises to abide by internationallaws, rules or norms or honour the commitments it made to the internationalcommunity, including not to militarise features in the East Sea.
China’s organisation of consecutivemilitary exercises in the waters to the north-northeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa(Paracel) archipelago has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the archipelago,said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang on August 26.
Responding to reporters’ query, thespokesperson made it clear that China’s act runs counter to the spirit of theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and complicates thesituation, which is unfavourable for the current negotiations between China andthe ASEAN on a Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) and themaintenance of a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment in the East Sea.
“Vietnam demands that China respectVietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, stop and not repeat suchviolations,” Hang said./.
