Viet Nam Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga made the statement in response to questions from the media on May 13 about China’s announcement on the management scheme of a non-fishing season in the East Sea from May 16th to August 1st, 2011.
The ban was posted on China Hainan province’s Haikou Municipal Government website titled “Announcement on managing on fishing- off season of the year 2011 in the East sea” . This ban covers some areas under Viet nam's maritime sovereignty in the East Sea.
Ms Nga commented: "Viet Nam has indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos and sovereignty and jurisdiction rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea”.
“China’s unilateral execution of a fishing ban in the East Sea is a violation of Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, the country’s sovereign and jurisdiction rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), making the East Sea situation more complicated”, the spokeswoman stressed.
Ms Nga said the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry had met the with the Chinese side to launch a strong protest over China’s ban.
All unilateral activities of parties in the area without the Vietnamese State’s permission were illegitimate and worthless, they said.
Sovereignty Violated: China Fishing Ban
VIET NAM - Chinas recent ban on fishing in waters in the East Sea has violated Viet Nams sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and further complicated the East Sea situation, according to Viet Nams Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
