President of the Vietnam Society of International Law (VSIL) Nguyen Ba Son

Nguyen Ba Son reiterated solid historical and legal foundation to confirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, which has been repeatedly made clear by the Vietnamese government. He wrote that violations of the China’s Geological Survey Ship Haiyang Dizhi-8 (HD8) and other Chinese vessels was entirely within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as determined on the basis of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is not an overlapping or disputed area between Vietnam and China.

To ensure the East Sea’s connectivity for all parties, each should respect legitimate rights and interests of other partners, treasure historical friendship and absolutely comply with international law, Mr Nguyen Ba Son concluded.