Vietnam's sovereignty over the South China Sea from the perspective of international law

Abstract

ABSTRACT The principle of sovereignty, ie of supreme authority within a territory, is a pivotal principle of modern international law. Although the role of modern international law in establishing the sovereignty of states has changed many times, it must still be affirmed that international law sources are an important international legal basis for states to determine their sovereignty, including national sovereignty over the seas. The South China Sea (‘SCS') (Bien Dong or, East Sea in Vietnamese) has long been regarded as a major source of tension and instability in Pacific Asia. The purpose of this article is to discuss the views and positions of Vietnam on sovereignty over the two islands of Paracels (Hoang Sa in Vietnamese/Xisha in Chinese), Spratlys (Truong Sa in Vietnamese/Nansha in Chinese) and maritime zones in the South China Sea on the basis of international law and practice.