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| Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang protests China's military exercises near Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago. (Photo: Minh Quan) |
On August 3, at a regular press conference, answering a reporter's question about China bringing part of the Hoang Sa archipelago into the military exercise area in the East Sea from July 29 to August 2, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated:
China's move to put part of the Hoang Sa archipelago into the military exercise area in the East Sea from July 29 to August 2 has seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the archipelago, going against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), complicating the situation, and not beneficial to the current negotiation process between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the Code of Conduct between parties in the East Sea (COC) and maintaining a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment in the East Sea.
Vietnam resolutely protests and demands that China respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago and not repeat similar actions.
Previously, according to the announcement of the China Maritime Safety Administration, the country's military conducted a large-scale military exercise in the East Sea, taking place from July 29 to August 2. The exercise area spans from Hainan Island to part of the East Sea, including Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago and Macclesfield Bank, a shoal about 75 nautical miles from the Hoang Sa archipelago. During the exercise, China prohibited ships from entering the exercise area.
According to the Global Times (China), a video accompanying the press release shows that at least six additional warships, including one Type 055 destroyer, two Type 052D destroyers, two Type 054A frigates and one support ship, escorted the Shandong aircraft carrier in the aircraft carrier strike group to conduct the above operation.
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