by ReutersVietnam on Thursday accused a Chinese survey vessel and its escorts of violating its sovereignty and demanded that Beijing remove the ships from its territorial waters.
Vietnam and China have long been embroiled in a territorial dispute over a potentially energy-rich section in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $3 trillion in trade passes annually.
“Vietnam demands that the Chinese survey vessel Jiang Yang Hong 10, Chinese Coast Guard ships and fishing vessels immediately withdraw from Vietnam’s territorial waters,” foreign ministry spokesman Pham Thu Hang said in an official statement.
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“Vietnam has repeatedly communicated with China and implemented measures in accordance with international law and Vietnamese law to ensure Vietnam’s legitimate and legitimate rights and interests,” the statement said.
The Chinese embassy in Hanoi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Vietnam criticized the recent conduct of a Chinese research vessel in the same area of the Southeast Asian country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
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China has said that scientific research is a normal activity in areas under Chinese jurisdiction.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory, based on its old maps, which also includes waters within the EEZ of Vietnam and four other Southeast Asian countries.
Hang also said that Vietnam called on the international community to join efforts to maintain order, peace and security in the South China Sea and contribute to the development of the mutual interests of the two countries.
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Published on:
May 26, 2023