Vietnam's actions on Nansha Islands infringe on China's sovereignty
China on Tuesday expressed serious concerns over a series of actions taken by Vietnam on Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters and lodged strong representations to the Vietnamese side.
"China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters and neighbouring marine areas," spokesman Qin Gang told a routine press conference.
Qin made the remarks when asked to commented on Vietnam's plans to work with British Petroleum (BP) to build a gas pipeline on South China Sea and to hold local elections on the islands.
According to reports, the pipeline, worth two billion U.S. dollars, will bring gas from two new fields to Vietnam's south coast and details are still being worked out.
Any one-sided actions taken by any country in the waters are "illegal and invalid", constituting an encroachment upon the Chinese territorial sovereignty, sovereignty rights and administrative rights on the islands, said Qin.
Qin said the situation on South China Sea is generally stable at present with efforts of parties concerned.
"Vietnam's new actions, which infringe on China's sovereignty, sovereignty rights and administrative rights on the Nansha Islands, go against the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries on the maritime issue and are not beneficial to stability of the South China Sea area," he added.
Xinhua - April 10, 2007.
BEIJING - Vietnam is stirring up trouble by agreeing with BP and its partners to build a gas pipeline in the South China Sea, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday of an area disputed by Hanoi and Beijing.
The Spratly Islands, a string of rocky outcrops in the South China Sea, suspected of containing large oil and gas deposits, are also claimed by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.
The $2 billion pipeline will bring gas from two new fields to Vietnam's south coast, though details are still being worked out.
"China has irrefutable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and neighbouring marine areas," spokesman Qin Gang told a news conference. "With everyone's hard work, at present the situation in the South China Sea is stable.
"Vietnam's series of new actions infringing on China's sovereignty, sovereign power and administrative rights in the Spratly Islands, goes against the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries on the maritime issue," he added.
Qin had been asked by a reporter from China's state-run media to comment on the pipeline scheme, and about Vietnam's plan to hold local elections on the islands.
"It is not beneficial to stability in the South China Sea area. The Chinese side is paying close attention and we have already made serious representations to the Vietnamese side," Qin said.
A BP spokesman in London declined to comment on Qin's remarks.
The new fields to be connected with the planned pipeline are near fields from which BP and partners already produce gas that is shipped by an existing pipeline onshore for power generation.
Vietnam has traditionally been wary of its larger Asian neighbour and in 1979 the two countries fought a brief border war after Vietnam occupied Cambodia and overthrew the murderous Khmer Rouge regime backed by Beijing.
Beijing and Hanoi normalised relations in 1991.
In 1988, China and Vietnam fought a brief naval battle near one of the Spratly Island reefs in which more than 70 Vietnamese sailors died.
But tensions have eased considerably in recent years as relations improve.
Reuters - April 10, 2007.
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