Vietnam opposes any use of force against Vietnamese fishing vessels operating normally at sea.

According to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang, Vietnam opposes any use of force against Vietnamese fishing vessels operating normally at sea.

(07.20) Người phát ngôn Bộ Ngoại giao Phạm Thu Hằng. (Ảnh: Minh Quân)

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang. (Photo: Minh Quan)

On August 31, in response to a reporter's request for a response to the news that a Vietnamese fishing boat was attacked while operating in the waters of Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago, Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said:

"Vietnamese authorities are urgently clarifying the incident.

As has been repeatedly affirmed, Vietnam has sufficient legal basis and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago in accordance with international law, as well as its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over maritime zones established in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Vietnam opposes all acts of using force against Vietnamese fishing vessels operating normally at sea, threatening the lives and safety as well as causing damage to the property and interests of fishermen, contrary to international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

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