Vietnam has protested against China’s election of officials in a self-proclaimed city and illegal patrols in the former’s territorial waters.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Le Hai Binh on Monday voiced Hanoi’s opposition to Beijing’s election of members of the People’s Congress in the so-called Sansha City and the patrol in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

Vietnam has sufficient legal and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratlys). 

China committing such actions is a serious violation of Vietnam’s territorial authority, Spokesperson Binh reiterated.

They cannot change the truth about Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two sets of islands, the diplomat asserted.

“Vietnam resolutely objects and asks China to respect its sovereignty, immediately end the wrongful actions, and strictly comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC) and the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of issues at sea between Vietnam and China,” he said.

Earlier on September 19, Chinanews said that Chinese vessels had carried out patrols near the Phu Lam (Woody) Island, part of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa.

A few days later, Xinhua reported on an election of delegates to the Chinese People’s Congress in the so-called Sansha City.

Sansha is a quasi-prefecture-level city of Hainan Province illegally established by China to administer several island groups and undersea atolls in the East Vietnam Sea, including the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes.