Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Le Hai Binh has expressed Vietnam’s resolute protest against China’s pilot flight to an illegally-built airport on Chu Thap (Fiery Cross) reef in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.
He made the statement in Hanoi on January 2, the same day when China committed the action.
“China’s above-mentioned action seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over Truong Sa archipelago and went counter to the common perception of the two countries’ leaders, the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of Vietnam – China issues at sea and the spirit of the 2012 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea,” he said.
It has undermined peace and stability in the East Sea, eroded bilateral political trust and negatively impacted the neighbourliness and sentiments between the two peoples, he added.
The spokesperson stated that Vietnam asks China to immediately end, not to repeat such an action and take practical and specific acts to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea.
The same day, a representative from the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry presented a diplomatic note to Chinese embassy counterpart opposing China’s action.
VNA
