Speaking at the Asia Society in New York late Monday, President Truong Tan Sang made a forceful case for Hanoi's claim to the chain, known as the Spratlys in Vietnam and Nansha islands in China. The Chinese leader, who just completed a state visit to the United States, including a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, recently told the Wall Street Journal that “the Nansha [Spratly] Islands have been China’s territory since ancient times."
When asked by VOA’s Vietnamese Service about his reaction to Xi’s statement, Sang reiterated Vietnamese claims over the islands. “The Chinese, in meetings with us, always claims that the islands belong to China, and it is undisputable," he said. "We would like to counter-argue that statement. The Paracels and Spratlys belong to Vietnam since ancient time, and it is also undisputable.” Sang, who made a state visit to the U.S. in July, added that Hanoi also has “historical and legal evidence" for its claim.
Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang
He also urged other claimants to pursue peaceful solutions to the maritime disputes over the South China Sea. "[Vietnam] would like to resolve the issue through international laws, and that is the only way to go forward. Regarding bilateral issue [the Paracels] between Vietnam and China, we will negotiate with other bilaterally," Sang said. "Other multilateral ones such as the Spratly issue, which is related to six parties, then all sides should deal with China.” Vietnam and China claim sovereignty over the Paracel Islands, while the two nations also have competing claims with the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia over the Spratlys.
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