Vietnam warned over isles claim
Source: Agencies |
June 22, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China summoned Vietnam's ambassador yesterday to protest a new law designating a pair of South China Sea island groups as Vietnamese territory.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho that China had sole jurisdiction over the Nansha and Xisha islands and Vietnam's inclusion of them under its maritime law was illegal and invalid, reporters were told.
"China expresses its resolute and vehement opposition," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei quoted Zhang as saying.
Zhang also said: "China demands that Vietnam cease and correct its erroneous actions and do nothing to harm China-Vietnam relations and the peace and stability of the South China Sea."
The law approved by Vietnam's National Assembly yesterday says that all foreign naval ships passing through the waters must notify Vietnamese authorities.
Meanwhile, China is consolidating administration over the Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands in the South China Sea.
The government has approved a new entity, Hainan Province's Sansha City administration, to replace three separate management offices, giving a boost to development in the area and "better protecting Hainan's marine environment," a spokesman for the Civil Affairs Ministry said yesterday.
The State Council, or China's Cabinet, has approved the establishment of the prefectural-level city of Sansha to administer the three island groups and their surrounding waters. The government seat will be stationed on Yongxing Island, part of the Xisha Islands, according to a ministry statement.
The spokesman said the setting up of Sansha City will help to improve China's "administrative management on Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands and their future development."
He added: "It is also conducive to protecting the oceanic environment of the South China Sea."
China was first to discover and name the reefs, islets and the surrounding waters of island groups, and has exercised sovereignty control continuously over the area, he said.
Authorities in China's southernmost Hainan Province have taken a series of steps to bring tourists to the Xisha islands.
Elsewhere in the South China Sea, government ships from the Philippines and China have now been engaged in a standoff for more than two months at Huangyan Island.
Last weekend, the Philippines withdrew its remaining two ships because of bad weather, and China said it would pull out its fishing boats - sparking hopes of an end to the standoff.
However, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said on Wednesday he would send ships back after the weather cleared if the Chinese ships had not left by then.
Hong said yesterday the two sides were working to ease tensions and called on Aquino not to make provocative statements.
Hong said the Philippine warships' harassment of Chinese fishermen in early April caused the Huangyan Island incident.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho that China had sole jurisdiction over the Nansha and Xisha islands and Vietnam's inclusion of them under its maritime law was illegal and invalid, reporters were told.
"China expresses its resolute and vehement opposition," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei quoted Zhang as saying.
Zhang also said: "China demands that Vietnam cease and correct its erroneous actions and do nothing to harm China-Vietnam relations and the peace and stability of the South China Sea."
The law approved by Vietnam's National Assembly yesterday says that all foreign naval ships passing through the waters must notify Vietnamese authorities.
Meanwhile, China is consolidating administration over the Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands in the South China Sea.
The government has approved a new entity, Hainan Province's Sansha City administration, to replace three separate management offices, giving a boost to development in the area and "better protecting Hainan's marine environment," a spokesman for the Civil Affairs Ministry said yesterday.
The State Council, or China's Cabinet, has approved the establishment of the prefectural-level city of Sansha to administer the three island groups and their surrounding waters. The government seat will be stationed on Yongxing Island, part of the Xisha Islands, according to a ministry statement.
The spokesman said the setting up of Sansha City will help to improve China's "administrative management on Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands and their future development."
He added: "It is also conducive to protecting the oceanic environment of the South China Sea."
China was first to discover and name the reefs, islets and the surrounding waters of island groups, and has exercised sovereignty control continuously over the area, he said.
Authorities in China's southernmost Hainan Province have taken a series of steps to bring tourists to the Xisha islands.
Elsewhere in the South China Sea, government ships from the Philippines and China have now been engaged in a standoff for more than two months at Huangyan Island.
Last weekend, the Philippines withdrew its remaining two ships because of bad weather, and China said it would pull out its fishing boats - sparking hopes of an end to the standoff.
However, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said on Wednesday he would send ships back after the weather cleared if the Chinese ships had not left by then.
Hong said yesterday the two sides were working to ease tensions and called on Aquino not to make provocative statements.
Hong said the Philippine warships' harassment of Chinese fishermen in early April caused the Huangyan Island incident.
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