Vietnam condemns China’s activities at Johnson South Reef

Vietnam has sufficient legal foundations and historical evidence to assert its indisputable sovereignty over Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh on September 11 made the affirmation when announcing Vietnam’s diplomatic activities in the future and answering questions raised by domestic and foreign reporters at a regular press conference.

When asked about Vietnam's viewpoint on China's launch of illegal activities at Gac Ma (Johnson South Reef) in Vietnam’s Spratly archipelagos , Mr. Binh stated that every foreign unilateral activity aimed to change the status quo of the area seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and complicates the situations in the East Sea and the region.

Earlier, in his story 'China’s Island Factory' on BBC on September 9, Rupert Wingfield Hayes wrote that China has launched activities to build islands on Johnson South Reef since January 2014. Tons of rock and sand have been dredged up from the sea floor and pumped into the reef to form new land.