Fishing Ban Violated: Vietnam Demands China Respect Vietnam’s Sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Archipelago

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized the demand that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty while replying to reporters’ question about China’s three-month fishing ban in the East Sea/South China Sea, including the waters of Vietnam, on April 29.

May 01, 2022 | 00:18

Fishing Ban Violated: Vietnam Demands China Respect Vietnam’s Sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Archipelago

Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has asserted in response to China imposing its illegal fishing ban in the East Vietnam Sea.

Hang made the statement at a press conference on Friday while replying to reporters’ question about China’s ban on fishing, effective from May 1 to August 16, in the East Vietnam Sea, including the waters of Vietnam.

The sea area subject to the ban includes part of the Gulf of Tonkin and the waters of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago.

“Part of the fishing ban’s scope violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Islands, and Vietnam’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin between Vietnam and China that was signed in 2000,” the spokeswoman said.

Vietnam’s stance on China’s fishing ban in the East Vietnam Sea is consistent and well established over the past years.

Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over Vietnam’s waters when implementing measures for conserving fisheries resources in the East Vietnam Sea China should not complicate the situation in the sea area, but should contribute to maintaining peace, stability, and order there, added the spokesperson.

She stated that Vietnam’s stance on China’s fishing ban in the East Sea is consistent and has been asserted clearly over the past years.

Vietnam and China had finished negotiations on the delimitation of areas within the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and signed a maritime delimitation agreement in 2000, according to The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Experts said the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Tonkin Gulf and the Tonkin Gulf Fishery Cooperation Agreement between the two countries have determined clear boundaries and created convenient international legal framework for each to protect, manage, utilize and develop economies in their sea areas and continental shelves within the Gulf of Tonkin.

Vietnam and China began negotiations for the delimitation of sea areas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin in 2012. They have agreed to continue the discussions twice a year.

The two sides have agreed to negotiate step-by-step, quickly perform joint surveillance, create a basis for the promotion of delimitation negotiations for sea areas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and cooperate to mutually develop in the area.

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the Delimitation of the Tonkin Gulf and the Tonkin Gulf Fishery Cooperation Agreement east vietnam sea spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago