Vietnam asks China not to place oil rig in its waters
(VNA) Vietnam has called on China not to install an oil rig in Vietnam's territorial waters, announced a Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Friday, Nov. 19.
According to China's Sanya Marine Radio, China’s Kantan offshore drilling rig 3, towed by the Nanhai ship 215 from Shanghai, is to be installed at a site on the East Sea 63 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast and 67 nautical miles from China's Hainan island, the spokesman told Vietnam News Agency.
Under international laws, especially the 1982 Law of the Sea Treaty, the site completely belongs to Vietnam's exclusive economic zone, and Vietnam is hereby entitled to exclusive rights to the oil, natural gas and other resources in the continental shelf, stressed the spokesperson.
Therefore, China's act has seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty and national jurisdiction, he asserted.
The oil rig is scheduled to be in operation Nov.19 to Dec. 31, he added.
With regard to the two countries' friendly and cooperative ties, Vietnam requested China to strictly observe the agreements between the two countries so as to avoid aggravating the situation, which may affect bilateral relations, he concluded.
