Answering press questions about China’s inauguration of the two lighthouses on the Cuarteron and Johnson South or Chau Vien and Gac Ma reefs located in Vietnam’s Spratly Archipelago, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said “Vietnam has on many occasions underlined its indisputable sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Archipelagos.
All foreign activities in these areas without Vietnam’s permission are illegal in international law, violating Vietnam’s sovereignty and are therefore null and void. China’s construction and operation of the two lighthouses is a serious infringement on Vietnam’s sovereignty, and harms the development of the Sino-Vietnamese friendship and co-operative relations, causes tension and complicates the situation in the area. Vietnam resolutely opposes these illegal actions.
