MANILA, Philippines — While the Department of Foreign Affairs is waiting for official military confirmation of China's reported missile launch in the South China Sea, Vietnam's foreign ministry had expressed concern over the matter. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said Hanoi was "deeply concerned" about Beijing's recent actions in the disputed waterway, according to a report from Ho Chi Minh-based newspaper Tuoi Tre News. "Vietnam suggests that all activities in the East Sea (South China Sea) should respect sovereignty and legitimate and legal interests of countries and observe international law, especially 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, contributing to regional peace, security, stability and cooperation," Hang said. China, the Philippines and Vietnam have overlapping claims over the South China Sea. In a tweet posted Thursday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said they "despise civilian sources."

Source: Philippine Star July 05, 2019 06:33 UTC