December 14, 2016 | 21:07 (GMT+7)
Vietnam strongly opposes China’s so-called island retrieval
PANO - Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Hai Binh, while answering reporters’ questions on December 12 about Vietnam’s response to the Chinese Navy’s celebration of the so-called 70 years of the retrieval of two archipelagoes in the East Sea (internationally named South China Sea), emphasized:
The Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes belong to Vietnam. Photo: vnexpress.net
“Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal foundation to affirm its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, Vietnam’s long-standing territories. After the Second World War, the international community already rejected China’s claim over these two archipelagoes.
“The above activity of China cannot alter the Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes. The activity goes against the current development trend of the two countries’ relations and further complicates the situation. Vietnam resolutely opposes that activity.”
Translated by Thu Hang