Vietnam reaffirms sovereignty over Truong Sa archipelago

• 200 youngsters dispatched to visit Truong Sa archipelago
• Hoang Sa – Truong Sa exhibition arrives in Hoi An
• Hoang Sa, Truong Sa exhibition comes to Thanh Hoa
• Spokesperson asks for respect for Vietnam’s sovereignty in East Sea

The Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman made the statement in Hanoi on May 8 in response to reporters’ question about Vietnam’s viewpoint on the recent visit to the Truong Sa archipelago’s Thi Tu island by Philippines Defense Minister Delphin Lorenzana along with Philippine and foreign reporters.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang.

“As asserted many times before, Vietnam has sufficient legal ground and historical evidence affirming its sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago”, stated the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, “Vietnam asks involved parties to respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa archipelago, fully and seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (South China Sea), exercise restraint and refrain from actions that cause tension and further complicate the situation, and settle disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law”.

Also related to the East Sea issue, according to the Vietnam News Agency’s reporter, the Indiana-based publisher of Xlibris has released its book named "Islands and Rocks in the East Sea - Post Hague Ruling" to readers in the US and internationally.

The 254-page book by James Borton, a senior fellow at the American-Asian Institute (author of the "The South China Sea: Challenges and Prospects," published in 2015), was completed based on the speeches of many prestigious scholars from around the world attending the international workshop “Legal status of islands and rocks in international law and practice in the East Sea” held in Nha Trang, Vietnam on August 2016.

The main content of the book consists of three parts: analysis of the legal status of the islands and rocks specified in international law; Ssvereignty disputes in the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos; and aspects of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling on the lawsuit between China and the Philippines on Chinese unreasonable sovereignty claims and activities destroying the ecological environment of the East Sea and the steps that Vietnam could take to protect its sovereignty and interests of the post-judgment.

Director of the East Sea Research Institute Jonathan Spangler said: "The timely launch of the book, with the contribution of the world's leading scholars, favoring cooperation in the field of maritime science to resolve disputes, is worth reading and could help readers understand more about the complexity of the East Sea issues."