US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on April 23 criticised recent actions of China in the East Sea, including its announcement of the establishment of “Xisha district” (Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago) and “Nansha district” (Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago) ...

On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague granted an award on the Philippines vs. China case filed in 2013. This award completely rejected both the historical rights and the Chinese interpretation of UNCLOS 1982 ...

On January 17, 1974, taking advantage of the ongoing Vietnam War, China deployed a large naval force to attack and occupy the Paracel Islands. China’s use of force to take control of the Paracel Islands seriously violated not only the ...

It was not until 1988 that there was Chinese presence in the Spratly Islands (Itu Aba Island was occupied by the Republic of China in Taiwan). Taking advantage of Vietnam’s difficulties in the late 1980s, China dispatched its navy to ...

A densely populated neighbor of China, Vietnam has a weak health care system and a low budget for combating the coronavirus. So how has it managed to keep its COVID-19 infection rate so low? As the coronavirus pandemic rages in ...

All of the passengers entering Vietnam will have to undergo a 14-day concentrated quarantine period as from 0:00 on March 21, according to the Ministry of Transport.  All of the passengers entering Vietnam will have to undergo a 14-day concentrated ...

The East Sea was the theme of a conference held in New Delhi, India, on November 29 with current challenges and future perspectives in the waters under focus. An overview of the conference (Photo: VNA) The East Sea was the ...

India feels that maritime links through the East Sea are critical to peace, stability, prosperity and development of the Indo-Pacific region due to which it is vital to ensure freedom of navigation. Vijay Thakur, Secretary (East) at the External Affairs Ministry of ...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony in Hanoi on November 14 to mark the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and Vietnam’s membership of ...

Right now, China and its southern neighbours are fighting a regional sea-battle with global implications. At stake is a cornerstone of the international rules-based system: should states respect the treaties they have signed or use force to get their way? ...

Vietnam’s Need to Become a Proactive Middle Power The most frequently-asked question from U.S. scholars and experts visiting Vietnam these days is, “What does Vietnam want from the United States when it comes to the South China Sea?” Given the ...

Leading foreign experts have voiced their concerns over China’s recent actions in the South China Sea, which is called the East Sea in Vietnam, while speaking at the ongoing 11th South China Sea International Conference in Hanoi. President of the ...

China is engaged in a long-term and consistent campaign of coercing Southeast Asian countries to abandon their legitimate rights in the East Sea. China’s recent activities in the East Sea are contrary to international laws, including the United Nations Convention ...

The “New Silk Road” is to extend Beijing’s influence on the water – to the North Sea. It’s not just about economic interests. The huge project intensifies military tensions. Hardly any major project of the Chinese government is internationally so ...

This article comments favorably on the CSIS expert working group’s blueprint for establishing regional cooperative arrangements in the South China Sea. Yet this article proposes an alternative—or supplementary—approach. Quite a few scholars have come up with proposals for how to ...

From July 3, 2019, Chinese survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 entered the Vanguard Bank in Vietnam’s EEZ to “conduct a seismic survey”. This is the most serious incident by China in the last 5 years since its installation of the ...

Vietnam actively participated in the negotiation process and building of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has made significant efforts in enforcing the pact. Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Vietnam actively participated in the negotiation ...

Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) are two big archipelagos with key strategic locations among Vietnam’s islands, and the country’s sovereignty over them is clearly reflected through historical documents. Fishing boats on the waters off the coast of Cat ...

Vietnam resolutely opposes Chinese survey vessel group Haiyang Dizhi 8’s continued serious violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty right and jurisdiction in territorial waters as defined in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Foreign Ministry’s ...

We are concerned about the situation in the South China Sea which could lead to insecurity and instability in the region. We call on all coastal States of the South China Sea to take steps and measures that reduce tensions ...