In-depth
Official: World community watching China's East Sea infringement
  • By Tuan Hop | dtinews.vn | May 08, 2014 03:00 PM
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China’s blatant infringement of Vietnam’s territorial waters in the East Sea in breach of international law has brought about strong opposition from the world community, one official said.

Lieutenant-general Pham Xuan The, former commander of Military Zone 1, sat down with DTiNews on May 7 to answer some questions on the issue.

 

Lieutenant-general Pham Xuan The, former commander of Military Zone 1

On May 6 Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pham Binh Minh, called the Chinese State Councilor, Yang Jiechi, to voice opposition to China's action on the East Sea and officially request a withdrawal of oil-rig HD-981 and sea vessels from Vietnamese waters. What are your comments about this?

China’s infringement is strongly objected to by Vietnamese people and the international community. International news has covered the story beginning on the morning of May 7. It has appeared in the US media as well as in that of other Asian nations. Opinion is clearly on the Vietnamese side for this issue.

Recently Deputy PM and minister of Foreign Affairs, Pham Binh Minh, has made clear Vietnam's opposition to China’s infringement in territorial waters. This is a time when we should act decisively in order to protect our sovereign territory.

We should not tolerate exploratory drilling in our waters conducted by other countries without our permission just because that other country might be bigger. Such actions are brazen and aggressive violations of internationally recognised laws and standards. We should make our case to the world to preserve our rights.

 

Chinese invasion of Vietnamese waters

In your opinion, what means should be used to get China to withdraw from Vietnamese waters?

China’s action is an infringement on our territory, so we need to use the Vietnamese Coast Guard, Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries, fishing fleets and international shipping fleets operating in our seas to drive them away.

We need to act resolutely. If we do not take action or if we take half-measures, the results will not be satisfactory. That would just encourage China to act more aggressively.

Many countries have joined Vietnam in their opposition to China’s infringement of Vietnamese territory. What are your thoughts about the international reaction?

It proves an acknowledgement of international laws and treaties. International legal support has proven to be strong for Vietnam. We need to continue efforts to maintain such support. It should not be too difficult because we are in the right in this case, and because we are, those nations that uphold international law will react in the correct way.

Can Vietnam simply seize the oil rig that has encroached on its territorial waters?

Obviously we would be within our rights to do so, since they are infringing our sea area. However, much attention should be paid on ending this dispute in the smoothest manner possible. Now is the time for us to sit together and work out a solution with China; a solution in which they give up any idea of annexing the East Sea.

Thank you very much!

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