Vietnam objects to China's illegal arrest of fishing boats and fishermen in Hoang Sa
VOV.VN - The country strongly protests all activities which violate its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and will resolutely protect its national sovereignty by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Doan Khac Viet, deputy spokesperson of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, made the statement at a routine press briefing on October 31 in Hanoi in reply to a reporter’ query regarding the nation’s reaction to the news that China had deployed military equipment on Tri Ton Island in Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago.
Regarding the arrest of Vietnamese fishing boats and fishermen by competent Chinese agencies, Viet emphasized that, “Hoang Sa belongs to Vietnam. Vietnam has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the Hoang Sa archipelago and its surrounding waters. We have reiterated and affirmed this many times. The arrest of Vietnamese fishing boats and fishermen by Chinese authorities, including the coast guard, in the Hoang Sa waters is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, violating the fundamental, legal, and legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese fishermen.”
“Vietnam resolutely protests and demands that China respect Vietnam’s rights in the Hoang Sa archipelago, immediately release all illegally detained Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen, adequately compensate for damages; and at the same time, stop all acts of harassment and illegal detention of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago,” Viet stated.
Vietnam resolutely protests and demands that China respect its rights in the Hoang Sa archipelago, immediately release all illegally detained Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen, adequately compensate for damage, while simultaneously stopping all acts of harassment and illegal detention of Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, the official stated.