Regarding the Eastern Sea, we have reiterated many times Vietnam’s policy of resolving all disputes through peaceful negotiations in accordance with international laws and practices, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of Parties to maintain peace and stability and seek long-term and fundamental solutions that are acceptable to all concerned parties.

In that spirit, a meeting between two heads of the Vietnamese and Chinese governmental negotiations on border and territory issue negotiations was recently held in Hanoi. The two sides exchanged views on border and territory-related issues in a comprehensive, frank, intensive and extensive manner. On sea related issues, they agreed to accelerate the negotiations and coordinate in resolving the emerging issues based on the spirit of friendly neighbourliness, fraternity and comradeship, in order not to further complicate the situation.

Vietnam’s stance to China’s State Council’s approval of establishing district-level San Sha city, that  includes Viet Nam’s Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, was clearly stated by the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3 December 2007.

We have learnt that in the morning of 9 December 2007, some people gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ha Noi and the Chinese General Consulate and Ho Chi Minh City to express their discontent with China’s recent moves relating to Viet Nam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos. These are spontaneous actions taken without permission by Vietnamese relevant agencies. When the incidents occurred, Vietnamese security forces timely arrived at the scenes to give explanation and request them to stop these actions.