Vietnam has strongly objected to China’s construction of a 2,000-m airstrip on Phu Lam Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, considering it a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the archipelago.

>> Ministry protests China’s illegal act on Vietnam’s Truong Sa>> Taiwanese buys painting composed to support Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty>> Films on Vietnam’s island sovereignty to be screened in US The opposition was made by Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Le Hai Binh at a regular press conference in Hanoi on October 9. He emphasized that this action by China seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the archipelago, infringing on the Vietnam - China agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea signed in October 2011. The runway construction has violated international laws and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) reached between China and ASEAN in 2002, and ran against the common perception of the two countries’ top leaders. It has also further complicated the situation in the East Sea and harmed the development of bilateral relations between the two countries, he added. “Vietnam strongly protests China’s illegal actions and demands China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty and refrain from repeating similar actions, thus contributing to the growth of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and the maintenance of peace and stability in the East Sea,” the spokesman said. Earlier on October 7, Chinese media said that China has completed the expansion of landscapes and the building of a 2,000-m runway on Phu Lam Island.

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