On the afternoon of March 14, at a press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the press asked the spokesperson to state Vietnam's reaction to China's recent announcement of establishing baselines in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said that Vietnam and China are two countries bordering the Gulf of Tonkin. On December 25, 2000, the two countries signed the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin. This Agreement took effect on June 30, 2004 to determine the boundaries of the territorial waters, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of each country in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Vietnam believes that coastal states need to comply with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea when determining baselines used to measure the breadth of territorial waters, ensuring that they do not affect the legitimate rights and interests of other states, including freedom of navigation, the right to transit through straits used for international navigation, and in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The spokesperson emphasized that Vietnam has and will continue to exchange views with China on this issue in the spirit of friendship, understanding and mutual respect.
"Vietnam requests that China respect and comply with the Agreement on the delimitation of territorial waters, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves between the two countries in the Gulf of Tonkin signed in 2000 between Vietnam and China and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," the spokesperson said.
Ms. Hang also affirmed that Vietnam reserves its legal rights and interests in accordance with international law as well as the viewpoint stated in the June 6, 1996 statement of the Vietnamese Government regarding the May 15, 1996 statement of the Chinese Government announcing the baseline used to calculate the breadth of China's territorial waters.
The press continues to question how this will affect future cooperation between the two countries?
The spokesperson clarified: "As I have stated, that is Vietnam's stance on China's recent announcement of straight baselines within the Gulf of Tonkin. And like all other relationships, differences in the relationship between countries, specifically Vietnam and China, are always discussed by the two countries. I would like to reiterate once again that Vietnam has and will continue to discuss views with China on this issue in the spirit of friendship, understanding and mutual respect."
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