Ridiculous antic
China is justified in lodging strong protests over Vietnam's new law to include China's maritime territories into its "sovereignty" and "jurisdiction". Beijing is justified in considering more aggressive countermeasures, too, if Hanoi refuses to mend its ways.
On Thursday the Vietnamese National Assembly adopted a domestic law of the sea to include China's Xisha and Nansha islands in the South China Sea within Vietnam's sovereignty and jurisdiction. In response, Chinese authorities have expressed firm opposition and demanded that Vietnam correct its erroneous maritime law immediately.
Regrettably, in a statement posted on the Vietnamese foreign ministry's website late on Thursday, the ministry's spokesman said, "Vietnam resolutely rejects the absurd accusations by the Chinese side."
