(VOVworld) - General Director of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN)  Do Van Hau on Wednesday convened a media conference on China’s invitation of international bids for 9 oil and gas lots within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Hau said the English and Chinese language website of China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) on June 23rd announced invitation for bidding 9 oil and gas lots covering 160,000 square km with foreign companies in 2012. Hau said these lots lies entirely within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and overlaps lots from 128 to 132 and from 145 to 156 that PVN has been conducting oil and gas development activities so far. PVN confirms that open invitation for bids is within Vietnam’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf  and this is absolutely not a disputed area: “This act is wrong and invalid, running counter to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and international practice. This act seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereign rights, jurisdiction rights, and legitimate national interest and make the situation in the East Sea more complicated. PNV calls strongly oppose and call on CNOOC to cancel the illegal invitation of bidding and seriously abide by the basic principles guiding the implementation of Vietnam-China sea issues, and respect international law, especially the UNCLOS and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.”