Mr Dung was responding to a question raised by the Vietnam News Agency in Hanoi on December 28 following China’s construction of sovereign markers on Vietnam’s Paracel archipelago.

According to a report from Chinese magazine Huan Qiu in December 2006, China has started building sovereign markers in the territorial waters around Vietnam’s Paracel archipelago since November 1, 2005.

In the previous statements released by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokespersons in 1992 and 1996, Mr Dung noted Vietnam never recognised the legality of any regulations in the territorial waters, adjacent areas and baselines as well as relevant activities of any country on Vietnam’s Paracel and Spratly archipelagos.   

China’s construction of sovereign markers in several positions near the Paracel archipelago has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty, and therefore invalid, said Mr Dung.

The spokesperson reiterated Vietnam’s policy of resolving all sea disputes of concerned parties through peaceful means in respect for each other’s independence and sovereignty in line with the international law and practice, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2002 Declaration of Conducts (DOC) of concerned parties in the East Sea, with a view to strengthening friendship and cooperation and maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea.