Hanoi, May 29 (VNA) – US Congressmen J. Randy Forbes, Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee and Chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, on May 28 issued a statement condemning China’s continued escalation in the East Sea .
China’s continued escalation with Vietnam in the East Sea, including actions that have led to the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel in recent days, has only reinforced the perception that “Beijing is willing to resort to military coercion to achieve its political objectives”, the statement said.
The United States should never accept the resolution of territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific by military force or other forms of coercion, it added.
At the beginning of May, China illegally dispatched the Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig, as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft, to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
On May 27, China moved the rig to the new location 23 nautical miles from the old site. With the move, China has kept on violating Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction.
Chinese ships have repeatedly rammed and fired water cannons into Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries surveillance ships which are carrying out their law enforcement missions in the country’s waters, leaving many Vietnamese ships damaged and many fisheries surveillance officers injured.
In addition, many Vietnamese fishing boats have repeatedly been disrupted in their duties and driven away by Chinese ships, causing losses of property. Chinese forces have also been responsible for beating and injuring Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.
China’s continued escalation with Vietnam in the East Sea, including actions that have led to the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel in recent days, has only reinforced the perception that “Beijing is willing to resort to military coercion to achieve its political objectives”, the statement said.
The United States should never accept the resolution of territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific by military force or other forms of coercion, it added.
At the beginning of May, China illegally dispatched the Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig, as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft, to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
On May 27, China moved the rig to the new location 23 nautical miles from the old site. With the move, China has kept on violating Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction.
Chinese ships have repeatedly rammed and fired water cannons into Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries surveillance ships which are carrying out their law enforcement missions in the country’s waters, leaving many Vietnamese ships damaged and many fisheries surveillance officers injured.
In addition, many Vietnamese fishing boats have repeatedly been disrupted in their duties and driven away by Chinese ships, causing losses of property. Chinese forces have also been responsible for beating and injuring Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.
VNA/VNP
