Vietnam on Thursday said it has ‘regrets’ over the recent annual human rights reports released by the US Department of State.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Phạm Thu Hằng, at the regular press briefing held in Hanoi, criticised the annual human rights report released by the US State Department on April 22, which she said has made some subjective assessments based on inaccurate information about the actual situation in Vietnam.

Hằng said that despite reflecting Vietnam's achievements and progress in human rights protection, the report made some biased comments based on false information about the real situation in Vietnam.

"Once again, we affirm Vietnam's consistent policy of protecting and promoting human rights, considering human beings as the centre and driving force of the renewal process and the country's development," she emphasised.

Hằng also added that the basic rights and freedoms of individuals are enshrined in Vietnam's Constitution and are protected and promoted by specific legal documents and implemented in practice.

"Vietnam will engage in frank and constructive exchanges with the US on remaining differences to enhance understanding, thereby making positive contributions to the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the US," she said.

Meanwhile, responding to comments on China’s unilateral fishing ban in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea), Hằng said Vietnam demands China to respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelago and its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its waters and maritime zones.

The foreign ministry spokesperson stated that Vietnam's position on China's fishing ban in the East Sea is consistent and has been asserted in recent years.

"China's fishing ban not only violates Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel archipelago but also infringes upon Vietnam's sovereign rights and jurisdictional rights over its exclusive economic zone as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982," she said.

Vietnam demands China not to complicate the situation further, and to contribute to maintaining peace, stability and order in the East Sea region, she said.