The 12th South China Sea International Conference, with the theme “Maintaining Peace and Cooperation through a Time of Turbulence”, kicked off on November 16 in both the in-person and online formats.

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte called for stepping up the adoption of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) while addressing the 37th ASEAN Summit via a teleconference on November 12.

An exhibition themed “Vietnam’s Hoang Sa, Truong Sa - Historical and Legal Evidence” opened at Da Nang University on November 2.

Vietnam will continue to cooperate proactively and responsibly with the UN and countries to promote the rule of law at both national and international levels, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnam mission to the UN affirmed.

Vietnam strongly protests the establishment of the so-called Sansha city in Phu Lam Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and related activities as they seriously violate Vietnam’s sovereignty, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said on October 15.

Any activities in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago without the country's permission are meaningless, spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said on August 27.

China's organisation of consecutive military exercises in the waters to the north-northeast of Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago has violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the archipelago, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang on August 26.

Vietnam has affirmed many times and reiterated that the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos are inseparable parts of its territory, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang has said.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang highlighted Vietnam’s viewpoint that all activities in its Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos without permission of the country are void and not conducive to peace, security and stability in the East Sea, and that Vietnam resolutely protests those.

The Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations on July 29 sent a note verbale to the UN Secretary General, saying China’s claim to the maritime features in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) has no basis under international law.

China’s maritime claims are not valid under international law, according to the Joint Statement on Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2020 released on July 28.

US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo affirmed on July 13 that the People’s Republic of China (PRC)'s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam) are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.