Vietnam demands that Taiwan stop illegal construction on Ba Binh island, part of theTruong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, over which Vietnam has irrefutable sovereignty.

>> Vietnam reiterates sovereignty over Truong Sa, Hoang Sa On November 5, 2013, Taiwan announced the construction of a new wharf and the consolidation of a runway on Ba Binh Island, called Taiping Island by China. This island is part of Truong Sa archipelago that belongs to Vietnam. The unlawful construction is expected to start in 2014 and to be completed two years later. This act seriously violates Vietnam’s undisputable sovereignty over the archipelago and goes against the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Upon completion, the new wharf will have the capacity to receive larger battleships and support  Taiwanese fishermen who fish in the area, according to the Taiwanese transport agency. Vietnam has repeatedly voiced its opposition to Taiwan’s sovereignty violating acts on Truong Sa. Therefore, Vietnam demands that Taiwan stop illegal construction activities on the archipelago and not to further complicate the situation in the East Sea. At a press conference in Hanoi on May 9, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi said, “All activities in the East Sea must comply with international law, especially the UNCLOS, with respect to the sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdictional rights of concerned countries.” Ba Binh, which is some 860 miles from Taiwan, is the largest island in Truong Sa and the only island where fresh water is available.