Vietnam dismisses China’s position paper on East Sea claims

Vietnam's foreign ministry condemned Thursday a position paper China has used to outline its arguments against the jurisdiction of an international arbitration case which the Philippines has been seeking to challenge Beijing’s expansive maritime claims.

“Once again, we reiterate that Vietnam has incontestable sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands,” Le Hai Binh, the Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesman, said in a statement Thursday, using the Vietnamese names for the Paracel and Spratly chains respectively.

“Vietnam’s established position is to resolutely object to China’s claims over Hoang Sa, Truong Sa islands and adjacent waters,” Binh said. Vietnam also rejects the legitimacy of what China call its “historic rights” over the waters, seabed and subsoil that fall within its so-called “nine-dash” line.

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