Vietnam News Agency: Pls advise Vietnam's reaction to the news on China Maritime Information Radio that Nanhai 215 Vessel has hauled oil drilling platform KANTAN 3 of China to the continental shelf of Vietnam.

According to China Maritime Information Radio, the oil drilling platform KANTAN 3 of China, hauled by the Nanhai 215 Vessel from Shanghai to an area with the coordinate position of Latitude 17^o 26’ 42" N and Longtitude 108^o 19’ 05" E, 63 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam and 67 nautical miles off the coast of China’s Hainan Island, is to operate from 19^th November to 31^st December 2004.

According to international laws, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, this area lies entirely within the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam. That China puts its oil drilling rig into operation in this area is a serious violation against the sovereign rights and national jurisdiction of Vietnam.

Prompted by the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, Vietnam has contacted China and requested her to strictly abide by the agreements reached between the two parties, not to move KANTAN 3 oil drilling platform to the above-mentioned area and to refrain from complicating the situation in detriment to the bilateral ties.