Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam resolvedly and consistently safeguards its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the East Sea as defined in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) through peaceful means based on international law, the Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 25.

Hang made the affirmation while responding to a reporter’s query regarding Chinese geological survey vessel group Haiyang Dizhi 8’s recent activities violating Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the south of the East Sea, which fully belongs to Vietnam in line with the 1982 UNCLOS, to which both Vietnam and China are members.

Vietnam have contacted the Chinese side for many times via different channels, handed over diplomatic notes to protest China’s violations and demanded China to immediately withdraw all vessels from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

Competent forces of Vietnam have carried out proper measures, she said, adding that  maintaining peace and stability as well as ensuring freedom of aviation and navigation, obeying the law and respecting sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of nations as stipulated in the 1982 UNCLOS are the common interests and responsibilities of countries and the international community.

“Vietnam welcomes and stands ready to join efforts with countries and the international community to realise the above-said target for peace, stability, cooperation and development of all nations in the region and the world,” the spokeswoman stressed.-VNA