China has been roundly condemned for worsening East Sea tensions by announcing a plan to sail a cruise ship this month to the Hoang Sa (Paracels) Archipelago that Vietnam claims sovereignty over. "China will continue to develop the Paracel Islands to demonstrate that it is in effective occupation of the islands and is exercising administrative control," said Carl Thayer, a maritime expert at the University of New South Wales in Australia. China is scheduled to let tourists visit the Xisha Islands (the name China has given to the Paracels Archipelago) ahead of the forthcoming May Day holiday, Tan Li, executive vice governor of the southern-most province of Hainan, was quoted as saying by the state news agency Xinhua in a Sunday report. People will be allowed to visit the islands on cruise tours, Tan said at the 2013 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia, a non-profit organization that hosts high-level forums for leaders from government, business and academia in Asia and … [Read more...] about China slammed for escalating East Sea tension with cruise ship plan
North east sea fishing marks
East Sea: A commons for China only
VietNamNet Bridge – Current tensions over the East Sea began in 2009 after the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf set a deadline for submitting claims for extended continental shelves beyond UNCLOS’s 200 nautical miles. The East Sea disputes The 1982 UN Convention on Law of the Sea recognizes the common heritage of the world’s oceans with a set of laws organizing exclusive zones for nations 200 nautical miles from their respective coasts. Waters beyond are open for use by all in ways that contribute to peace and friendly relations. By declaring sovereignty over the South China Sea (East Sea), China rejects the convention, argues Carlyle A. Thayer, with the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Current tensions over the East Sea began in 2009 after the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf set a deadline for submitting claims for extended continental shelves beyond UNCLOS’s 200 nautical miles. … [Read more...] about East Sea: A commons for China only
Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail
Fifty years have passed since the "Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail" was established (October 23, 1961 - October 23, 2011). Across this legendary route, many ships without numbers overcame typhoons and strict blockades of the enemy to successfully transport tens of thousands of tonnes of weapons, food and medicines to supply the southern front, contributing to a great victory in Spring, 1975. MYSTERIOUS ROUTE OF THE SHIPS WITHOUT NUMBERS During the Vietnamese people's resistance war against the US for national salvation, the Ho Chi Minh Trail was considered a "strategic road through jungles" while the Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail was associated with the secret transport ships without numbers. The existence of these two mysterious routes caused extreme difficulties for US military officials and the South Vietnamese government at that time, who tried to prevent the northern army from assisting in the southern battles. After the Geneva Agreement was signed in 1954, the US imperialists and the Ngo Dinh … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail
China blamed for escalating East Sea tensions
Military action a remote possibility, but quest for peaceful solutions weakened by Chinese aggression and obfuscation, experts say Traditional bamboo fishing boats on My Khe Beach in the central coastal city of Da Nang. Experts say China's recent actions, including the arrest of 21 Vietnamese fishermen on March 3, have worsened tensions in the East Sea. Photo: AFP … [Read more...] about China blamed for escalating East Sea tensions
National Awards mark Revolutionary Press Day
Vietnam celebrated the 86th anniversary of Revolutionary Press Day and many other important events occurred around the world. The fifth National Journalism Awards The fifth national journalism awards were held in Hanoi on the occasion of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 26). Activities mark Vietnamese Revolutionary Press Day The 2010 contest received more entries than the previous contests: 1,321 entries in eight categories. Head of the Central Commission for Communication and Education and President of the Vietnam Journalists Association Dinh The Huynh said this year final round entries were outstanding and showed new discoveries that accurately reflected Vietnam’s economic, social, and cultural development as well as its progress in national defence and security. They are also of consistently high quality, he said. Vietnamraises the East Sea issue at United Nations The 21 st Meeting of UNCLOS States Parties was held in New York from June 13-16 with the … [Read more...] about National Awards mark Revolutionary Press Day