Vietnam objects to China’s opening of commercial center in Hoang Sa

The foreign ministry's spokesperson Pham Thu Hang made the statement at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on Friday in response to reporters’ questions about China’s recent opening of a commercial center on Phu Lam Island in the Hoang Sa archipelago.

“Any foreign activities in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago that are not authorized by Vietnam are illegal and invalid,” Hang stated.

“Vietnam resolutely opposes such actions."

She reiterated that the Southeast Asian country possesses full historical evidence and legal grounds to assert its sovereignty over Hoang Sa in accordance with international law.

The archipelago consists of more than 30 islands, coral reefs, sandbanks, and submerged rocks in the East Vietnam Sea, with Phu Lam being the largest island.

The foreign ministry has repeatedly affirmed Vietnam’s sovereignty over both the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos in the maritime region, based on its sufficient historical and legal evidence.