Page 11 - aruba today sept 29,2015
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Tuesday 29 September 2015
Vietnam leader: China island work violates international law
Associated Press by China seriously affect Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang listens to questions dur- tion has said that Vietnam
NEW YORK (AP) — Viet- the maritime safety and ing an interview, Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, in New York. Sang told needs to improve human
nam’s president told The security in the East Sea.” The Associated Press on Monday that China’s island-building in rights conditions for the re-
Associated Press on Mon- He underscored the im- the disputed South China Sea violates international law and en- lationship to reach its fullest
day that China’s island- portance of a peaceful dangers maritime security. potential.
building in the disputed environment to realize new U.S. lawmakers also feel
South China Sea violates goals for sustainable de- (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) that Hanoi should clean up
international law and en- velopment just agreed at its human rights act before
dangers maritime security. the U.N. In Washington last getting privileges in the
President Truong Tan Sang week, China’s President Xi Trans-Pacific Partnership
also urged the U.S., which Jinping said the Chinese trade deal currently un-
has expressed mounting have “the right to uphold der negotiation. Vietnam
concern over China’s as- our own sovereignty” in the is one of 12 nations in the
sertive behavior, to fully lift South China Sea, where agreement which appears
a ban on lethal weapons Vietnam, the Philippines, close to completion. Sang
sales to Vietnam. Taiwan, Brunei and Malay- expressed willingness to
Sang said that would dem- sia also have competing keep discussing human
onstrate to the world that claims to tiny islands and rights with the U.S. He said
U.S.-Vietnam relations have reefs. China has reclaimed that a chapter on human
been fully normalized, 40 about 3,000 acres (1,200 rights is now included in
years after the end of the hectares)of land in the Vietnam’s constitution,
Vietnam War. Sang was past year-and-a-half by and that implementing
speaking in an interview dredging sand from the legislation would be enact-
with The AP as world lead- ocean bed, and is building ed in the “next few years”
ers gathered at the United airstrips and other facilities so those rights are fully in
Nations. that the U.S. is concerned place “on the ground.”q
Communist-ruled Vietnam could have military uses.
and China have long- While Sang talked tough
standing fraternal ties but on China, he had warm
tensions have grown over words for the United States,
oil exploration in disputed and looked for further steps
waters, and as China has to cement stronger ties.
undertaken massive land “The moment the United
reclamation in the Spratly States fully lifts the ban on
island chain, also claimed lethal weapons sales to
by Vietnam. “The East Sea Vietnam will send a signal
is indeed a hot spot of to the whole world that the
the region and the world Vietnam-U.S. relations have
at this point, and in the been fully normalized” and
last year China has done there’s no mistrust between
large-scale reclamation the two nations, Sang said.
of submerged islands to A visit by President Barack
make them very big is- Obama to Vietnam — pos-
lands,” Sang said, using the sibly this fall, when the U.S.
name Hanoi uses for the leader is due to visit the
South China Sea. region — would also con-
“We believe that these solidate a comprehensive
acts by China violate in- partnership formalized be-
ternational law,” he said, tween the former enemies
citing the U.N. convention when Sang visited Wash-
of the law of the sea. He ington in 2013, he said.
added that it also infringes Last October, the U.S. an-
a declaration of conduct nounced it would allow
reached in 2002 by mem- sales, on a case-by-case
bers of the Association of basis, of lethal equipment
Southeast Asian Nations. to help the maritime secu-
He said the concerns of rity of Vietnam — easing a
Vietnam and other South- ban in place since commu-
east Asian nations are “ob- nists took power at the end
vious and easy to under- of the Vietnam War in 1975.
stand because the acts But the Obama administra-
