(VOVworld) – In reply to reporters’ questions about China’s announcement of its first white book on its military strategy on May 26, which justifies China’s illegal construction of artificial islands in Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago, Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh said: “We think that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an important country in the region, China needs to respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of all countries involved, abide by international law, and make responsible and constructive contributions to the maintenance of peace, security, and stability in the region and the world.”

With regard to the information that 3,000 Vietnamese children were forced to travel to Britain to grow marijuana, he said that the Vietnamese embassy was working with the relevant British agencies to clarify the information. He said that Vietnam always cooperates with law enforcement agencies in Britain and other countries to fight cross-border organized crime, particularly human trafficking. Vietnam has signed bilateral cooperative agreements with Britain and other countries on the reception of illegal immigrants in line with international law.

Mr. Binh announced that US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will visit Vietnam from May 31 to June 2 at the invitation of Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh. The two ministers will discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation and increase mutual understanding between the two countries and their armies as well as regional and global issues of mutual concern.