Vietnam concerns about China's forbiding sea area for exercises
Ha Noi, May 27 (VNA) -- Viet Nam has expressed deep concern over the Guangzhou Radio's announcement on May 25 that China would mark off a forbidding sea area covering Coordinates between 14 degree 30' and 17 degree 00' to the North and between 111 degree 30' and 114 degree 00' to the East for shooting exercises from 0:0 hr on May 27 to 24:00 hrs on June 3.
The sea area announced by the Radio of Guangzhou in its news edition at 12:55 hrs on May 25 totally belongs to Viet Nam's Paracels archipelago and its continental shelf in the East Sea, says Viet Nam's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh.
"We have time and again stated clearly that Viet Nam has sufficient evidence and historical and legal grounds to affirm its indisputable sovereignty over Paracels and Spratly archipelagos", Ms.Thanh stresses.
"Any move by any other country towards Viet Nam's two archipelagos as well as its exclusive economic zones and continental shelves without the Vietnamese government's permit is a violation of Viet Nam's sovereignty and its sovereign rights over these areas.
While actively stepping up negotiations to reach a basic and long-term solution to these two archipelagos, especially when ASEAN and China are discussing a code of conduct in the East Sea, all concerned parties should maintain stability on the basis of status-quo and self-restraint without using force or threatening to use force, and taking no action to make the situation more complicated.
All concerned countries are responsible for maintaining peace and stability in the region as well as ensuring safe and smooth nevigation in the East Sea,".--VNA
