China actions in VN waters illegal, void

Any activity conducted by foreign countries in Viet Nam's waters without permission was illegal and void, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh, adding that the country absolutely opposed it.


Binh made the statement while answering reporters' questions on a maritime notice issued by the China Maritime Safety Administration on Saturday saying that drilling rig HD-981 would be operating in a location of 15 o 29'58'' north latitude and 111 o 12'06'' east longitude from May 2 to August 15.

The location of the drilling rig stated in the notice was within Viet Nam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, about 120 nautical miles from its coast, he said.

"Viet Nam has full historical evidence and legal rights to its sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagoes as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he added.