14-3-2024 (HANOI) Vietnam’s foreign ministry responded on Thursday (March 14) to China’s recent demarcation of a baseline in the Gulf of Tonkin, emphasizing the importance of respecting international law and the rights of other nations. China had delineated the baseline in the Gulf of Tonkin, also known as Beibu Gulf, using straight lines situated far from the coast, asserting that its action was in accordance with international law.
Baselines play a crucial role in determining the limits of territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and remain a sensitive subject in the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, and other regional states have conflicting claims.
In a regular press conference, Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesperson stated, “Vietnam holds that coastal countries abide by the UNCLOS 1982 when determining the baseline for measuring their territorial waters.” UNCLOS refers to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides a legal framework for maritime disputes.
While Vietnam and China have overlapping claims in the wider South China Sea, their relations in the Gulf of Tonkin have been relatively amicable. During President Xi Jinping’s visit to Hanoi in December, the two nations agreed to conduct joint patrols in the area.
According to UNCLOS, the drawing of straight baselines “must not depart to any appreciable extent from the general direction of the coast.” The implications of China’s recent demarcation on the boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin, located off the coasts of Northern Vietnam and Southern China, remain uncertain. The two countries had previously established a demarcation line in that area, as outlined in a 2000 agreement.
While urging China to respect the existing demarcation line, the Vietnamese spokesperson refrained from commenting on whether the new baseline could jeopardize the agreement. Similarly, the spokesperson declined to speculate on the potential impact of China’s actions on the agreement regarding joint patrols.
