Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reiterated at a routine press briefing that the Xisha Islands are the inherent territory of China and there are no disputes in this area.
Hua said Vietnam's actions have violated international law, infringed on China's sovereignty and endangered navigational freedom.
Yi Xianliang, deputy director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at the Foreign Ministry of China, held a press briefing on Thursday with Li Yong, chief executive officer of China Oilfield Services, on China's drilling operations in waters 17 nautical miles south of Zhongjian Island.
Since May 2, Vietnam has carried out intensive disruptions of Chinese company's normal oil drilling in waters administered by China, Yi said.
Vietnam had sent 36 vessels that had rammed Chinese vessels 171 times in five days from May 3 to 7, Yi said.
Yi stressed the waters where the Chinese company was drilling are completely within China's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.
Soon after a Chinese oil rig arrived on May 2, Vietnam dispatched six vessels that deliberately rammed Chinese government ships in an attempt to disrupt the drilling operations, Yi said.
China has repeatedly requested the Vietnamese side follow international practice, heed and respect the navigation notice issued by China's maritime authorities so as to uphold maritime production, operation order and navigation safety, he said. The Chinese ships are government and civil vessels, Yi said, but Vietnam has deployed armed vessels.
- China also found scuba divers sent by Vietnam five meters from Chinese government vessels, Yi said, adding that the Vietnamese side even placed fishing nets and large obstacles in the water that not only posed a security threat to Chinese vessels and facilities, but also jeopardized normal navigation security.
The Vietnamese side's disruption of the Chinese company's normal activities have seriously violated Chinese sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction, gravely affected the normal order of production and operation and the safety of China's rig, Yi said.
[globaltimes.cn]
10/5/14
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Related:
Vietnam/China: Chinese Oil Rig Operations Near the Paracel Islands
China says no "clash" in sea row with Vietnam, urges talks
- China blames U.S. for stoking tensions in South China Sea...
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Six U.S. senators urged their colleagues on Friday to support legislation reaffirming U.S. support for freedom of navigation, saying they consider China's recent actions in the South China Sea troubling......
ReplyDeleteChina this week accused Vietnam of intentionally colliding with its ships in the South China Sea after Vietnam asserted that Chinese vessels used water cannon and rammed eight of its vessels during the weekend near an oil rig China deployed in a disputed area.
"These actions threaten the free flow of global commerce in a vital region," Democratic Senators Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida, Jim Risch of Idaho and John McCain of Arizona said in a joint statement.
China's movement of the rig and "subsequent aggressive tactics" by its ships are "deeply troubling," they said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the United States on Friday of stoking tensions in the disputed region.......Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2014/May-10/255976-us-lawmakers-call-chinese-actions-in-south-china-sea-troubling.ashx#ixzz31HjQ9CgT
Philippine President Benigno Aquino Saturday urged fellow Southeast Asian leaders to face up to the threat posed by China's contentious claims to most of the South China Sea as they headed to a regional summit....
ReplyDeleteManila filed a case at a UN tribunal in March challenging Chinese claims to most of the strategic sea. Aquino said he would discuss the case's regional implications with fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders meeting in Myanmar.
Even though not all ASEAN members are involved in maritime territorial disputes with China, Aquino said the issue concerned the security of the region as a whole.
"We wish to emphasise, uphold and follow the rule of law in resolving these territorial issues so that the rights of all countries involved will be recognised and respected," Aquino said in a speech at Manila airport.
"This step mirrors our belief that an issue that affects all countries in the region cannot be effectively resolved merely through a dialogue between two countries," he added.
Aquino said the issue concerned the "security" of Southeast Asia.
Myanmar is hosting the two-day meeting amid a flare-up of high-seas tensions between ASEAN members Vietnam and the Philippines and regional superpower China, also one of their main economic partners.
China claims most of the South China Sea, including waters and rocks close to the shores of its neighbours, and the Philippines and Vietnam have both accused Beijing of increasingly aggressive moves to assert its claims.
These claims also overlap those of Taiwan, as well as ASEAN members Brunei and Malaysia.........http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/philippines-aquino-says/1101442.html
10/5/14