The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) transits through South China Sea while conducting routine underway operations, February 5, 2021. — Photo from the US Department of Defense HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is a responsible member of the international community and always upholds provisions under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS 1982), spokesperson for the foreign ministry Lê Thị Thu Hằng said. She made the statement on Thursday in the regular press briefing, held virtually this time due to COVID-19 in Hà Nội, when asked for Việt Nam’s reaction to the US Navy’s first freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) held under the Biden administration in February. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain reportedly conducted the FONOP near the Trường Sa (Spratly) and Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes in the South China Sea (known as the East Sea by Việt Nam) over which Việt Nam has repeatedly claimed sovereignty, but contested by mainland China and China’s Taiwan. “By engaging in innocent passage without giving prior notification to or asking permission from any of the claimants,” the US Navy noted in a statement. Also regarding the recent statement by French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly that France had sent the nuclear submarine, SNA Emeraude, to patrol the South China Sea, together with the naval support ship BSAM Seine, the said spokesperson said: “As a responsible member of the international community and a signatory of the UNCLOS 1982, Việt Nam always upholds the provisions of the UNCLOS, including items related to maritime and flight activities over the sea regions set up in accordance with UNCLOS 1982.” “The maintenance of peace, stability, security and order, safety, maritime and overflight freedom, the rule of law, with respect to sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the littoral countries in the South China Sea, in a manner that is consistent with the UNCLOS 1982, is …
Exeq destroyer
Extreme cold spell kills over 200 cattle in northern Vietnam
Ta Cong Huy, head of Lao Cai province’s Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Rescue, described how heavy snow spread to Sa Pa and Bat Xat districts on January 11. A thick layer of snow between 10cm and 20cm rapidly developed and badly impacted livestock breeding. By January 11, approximately 93 hectares of flower and vegetable plantation had been covered in snow, leading to 1,050 pots of orchid flowers being destroyed and 45 buffaloes killed in Lao Cai province. In total the cold weather caused losses in excess of VND2 billion, and the figure is set to increase as the extreme cold spell is forecast to continue over the coming days, Huy noted. Hoang Van Vien, vice director of Dien Bien province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said local authorities have urged farmers to deal with the devastating impact of the harsh weather, although due to prolonged drops in temperature, many cattle have died because of the cold. The entirety of Dien Bien province reported that 91 buffalos and cows have died, with losses estimated to be at VND1.3 billion. A similar situation occurred in Son La province, where over 90 cattle have been killed due to periods of extreme cold spell and frost. …
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US warships in South China Sea, Vietnam appeals for peace
Vietnam hopes all countries will continue contributing positively to maintaining peace and stability on the basis of international law in the East Sea, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press meet Thursday. In Vietnam, the South China Sea is called the East Sea. Hang said maintaining peace, stability, order, security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight, obeying the law, respecting sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of countries along the East Sea in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should be the common goal, interest, responsibility and aspiration of all concerned states as well as the international community. "The activities of all countries in the East Sea need to contribute to this common goal. As a responsible member of the international community and a member of UNCLOS, Vietnam abides by the convention's provisions, including regulations relating to maritime and aviation operations in the sea area that have been set up in accordance with the convention," she added. The destroyer USS John S. McCain on February 5 sailed near Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the East Sea in a freedom of navigation operation, marking the first such mission under President Joe Biden’s new administration. On February 17, U.S. destroyer USS Russell conducted another freedom of navigation operation, sailing near Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands. Washington has denounced what it calls Beijing’s attempts to bully neighbors with competing interests; and China has similarly denounced what it calls U.S. efforts to foment unrest in the region and interfere in what it regards as its internal affairs. The recent actions suggest that the Biden administration is not about to scale back operations challenging Beijing’s claims after the ramp-up seen during the Trump administration, analysts have noted. China seized the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam by force in 1974, and has …
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