Nation protests after violation by Chinese ship

HA NOI — Viet Nam has protested that China has violated its sovereignty and jurisdiction rights and asked that it immediately cease from any similar repetitions.

Spokesperson for the Viet Nam Foreign Ministry Nguyen Phuong Nga made the statement yesterday in reply to reporters' questions about Viet Nam's reaction to a report by China's Xinhua news agency on August 2 that China had conducted a scientific survey in the East Sea.

According to Xinhua, from June 13-July 30, the China Geological Survey co-operated with a French unit to use the Chinese research vessel Tan Bao Hao to conduct a scientific survey in sea areas stretching from the western part of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago (called "Xisha" in Xinhua's report) to the northern part of the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago (called "Nansha" in Xinhua's report).

"Regarding operations of the vessel Tan Bao Hao, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry's representatives met the Chinese side and stated Viet Nam's points of view, lodging Viet Nam's protest against China's acts, which violate the sovereignty and jurisdictional rights of Viet Nam, asking China to immediately cease and refrain from recurrence of similar acts," Nga said. — VNS