The Vietnam Oil and Gas Association (VOGA) has strongly opposed the acts of the
Chinese marine surveillance vessels, which recently cut the survey cables of a
Vietnamese ship operating on the continental shelf of Vietnam.

The Chinese patrol vessel no 84 violated Vietnam’s sovereignty on May 26.

VOGA raised its opposition in its recent statement on the
case which happened on May 26 when three Chinese marine surveillance vessels
cut the survey cables attached to the Binh Minh 02, a survey ship of the
Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), when it was conducting
seismic surveys well within Vietnam’s
exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

“This action seriously violated the 1982 UN Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) as well as Vietnam’s sovereignty and
jurisdiction rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and
caused economic damages for PetroVietnam,” the association stated.

The action also went against commitments China made in the Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed between ASEAN and China in 2002, as well as the common perception
of the high-ranking leaders of Vietnam
and China,
it added.

VOGA stressed that Vietnamese oil and gas enterprises’
implementation of seismic surveys in the country’s exclusive economic zone was
a normal activity that has occurred since the 1980s and was totally in line
with UNCLOS 1982.

Therefore, the association asked the Chinese side to
strictly abide by UNCLOS 1982 – of which China is a member – as well as
relevant international laws.

“The Chinese side should seriously implement commitments
prescribed in the DOC and not to repeat similar acts in the exclusive economic
zone and continental shelf of Vietnam,
as well as pay for damages to PetroVietnam caused by the three marine
surveillance vessels,” said VOGA.

The association said it always sought to boost the
traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries’ people, and
oil and gas workers, and respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of all countries for the interest of peace, security and cooperation
in the region.

Source: TTXVN