“As far as the East Sea is concerned, we have to consider where our sovereignty is and where the sovereignty of other countries in the region is. It should be compared to the stipulations of international law. Where we own, we must keep it. “Dialogue first, international court later. We have to make our utmost efforts to prevent any armed conflict from happening, except for the case we lose our sovereignty and defending our sovereignty will be our number one goal and maintaining friendship is our second goal. In general, we have to maintain peace and stability for development. When we speak our viewpoint and they don’t listen to us and stubbornly violate our sovereignty, so we ought to defend ourselves, self-defence means defending our sovereignty.

“No fear will help us understand and resolve all issues. If we fear, we will lose. We will lose where they want to occupy. With no fear, we will have the way to struggle to both maintain sovereignty and keep the atmosphere of harmony” – General, former State President Lê Đức Anh answered the interview by the press circle on the East Sea on June 2, 2011.


“We wish that the sea and island areas of our homeland will always be in peace, friendship and stability, but we are also determined to do our utmost to defend the sea and island areas of the homeland. So many generations have sacrificed to have the present homeland. So, we are ready to offer all to defend our homeland, our sea and islands” – Said former State President Nguyễn Minh Triết on June 7, 2011 during his visit to the people and soldiers on Cô Tô island (Quảng Ninh province).

“Defending the territorial sovereignty and maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea are the issue of an overall situation character. Treating the arising issues in the East Sea should be placed in the general strategy of the economic and social development of the country, in the foreign policy of peace, independence and self-support, diversification and multileralization of international relations, do not let the reactionary forces to find ways to take advantage to attack and sabotage the leadership of the Party and the State, distort and divide the international relations between our country and the concerned countries” – spoke Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Sea and Island Week held in Nha Trang (Khánh Hòa province) on June 8, 2011.

“First of all, it is necessary to continue to reaffirm strongly and express the best will and determination of the entire Party, people and army in defending the sovereignty, the right to sovereignty and jurisdiction of Vietnam over the sea and island areas of the Fatherland.

“We will continue to reaffirm the undeniable sovereignty of Vietnam over the Paracel and the Spratly archipelagoes, reaffirm the sovereignty, the right to sovereignty of Vietnam over the sea areas, the exclusive economic zones and the continental shelf in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“While we are persistent to strive to look for a lasting and fundamental solution, Vietnam requests that all the concerned parties to contain themselves and refrain from having any activity to complicate further the situation on the East Sea, to adhere to undertake to settling all the disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of the principles of international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea” – the Prime Minister further stressed.

“We must care for the strengthening of national defence and security, defend solidly the independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity of the country, maintain political security, social order and safety and protect the peaceful life of the people. We must carry out consistently the foreign policy of independence, sovereignty, diversification, multilateralization of the relations; we are the reliable friends and partners and the responsible member in the international community; we must maintain the environment of peace and stability, favourable for the national development; we must be persistent in settling the existing issues of border, territory and sovereignty over the sea, islands, exclusive economic zones and the continental shelf with the concerned countries by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the principles of conduct in the region; thus making an active contribution to the common struggle for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the world” – addressed President Trương Tấn Sang in an accession ceremony on July, 25, 2011.

“We wish not to make any impact on peace, stability and co-operation in the region and the world. And yet, we are determined to struggle to defend our sovereignty and the right to sovereignty. Struggling to defend sovereignty is the aspiration and responsibility of the entire nation, and at the same time it is also in conformity with international law and commitment” – reaffirmed Chairman Nguyễn Sinh Hùng of the National Assembly at the press conference on August 6, 2011.

“Vietnam holds that it is persistent to settle the East Sea issues by peaceful means, based on international law and transparency so that the international community can make the difference between right and wrong” – pointed out Defence Minister Phùng Quang Thanh at the fifth session of the Asian Security Conference held in Singapore.

“Struggling to defend the territorial sovereignty is a long and difficult process. We are determined not to lose an inch of land and sea, but how to maintain the environment of peace and stability without causing any conflict is also a no less difficult problem. We are carrying out the flexible diplomatic policy, but we are determined to never make concessions in the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the homeland” – answered Vice Defence Minister Nguyễn Chí Vịnh in a press conference before the national defence dialogue between Vietnam and the US in Washington on September 17, 2011.

“It is necessary to treat satisfactorily the dialectical relationship between the objective and task: maintaining independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Fatherland and maintaining the environment of peace and stability for development” – Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng said in a meeting with the voters of Hanoi on October 1, 2011./.