Vietnam on April 19 voiced its strong opposition to China’s recent announcement to establish two administrative districts on Vietnam’s two major East Sea islands and requested its neighbor to give up the decision.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang slams China's decision to establish
two administrative districts on Vietnam's Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes,
declaring it null and void

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang was speaking in response to reporters’ question following the news that China had decided to set up two districts called Xisha and Nansha based on Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes respectively. 

The two districts, under Sansha city China illegally established in 2012, were said to govern the two major groups of islands and adjacent waters in the East Sea.   

“Vietnam has repeatedly stated it has sufficient historical and legal evidence to prove its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly archipelagoes in the East Sea,” said Hang. 

“Vietnam strongly opposes the establishment of the so-called Sansha city and related acts as they seriously violate Vietnam’s sovereignty,” she went on to say.

Declaring the Chinese decision null and void, the spokesperson affirmed that the move does not benefit friendship between countries and only further complicates the situation in the East Sea, the region and the world. 

Vietnam requests China to respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, give up the decision and not take similar actions in the future, Hang stressed.