Image from Vietnam News/ANN
HANOI (Vietnam News/ANN): Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang has announced.
The official made the staement on Saturday in reply to reporters’ query on the country’s stance on China's occupation of Hoang Sa in 1974.
Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa has been established since at least the 17th century, in accordance with international law, and has been peacefully, continuously, and openly practiced by successive Vietnamese states, Hang stressed.
Any act of using force or threatening to use force in international relations, especially the use of force to solve disputes over territorial sovereignty in relations between countries, is completely contrary to the basic principles of the United Nations Charter, she said.
Pham added such moves seriously violates international law, and can neither establish a title of sovereignty, nor change the fact that the sovereignty over Hoang Sa belongs to Vietnam, the spokesperson affirmed. - Vietnam News/ANN
