General David Golfein, four-star general and current Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force; and General Charles Brown Jr., Commander of Pacific Air Forces and Executive Director of the Pacific Air Combat Operations, are in Hanoi on a visit on Sunday and Monday.

“More than anything, we want to respect Vietnam’s leadership and its sovereign right to defend its own territory. So anything we would do foremost is to work with the government of Vietnam and follow their lead,” said Goldfein, the first Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force to visit Vietnam after the Vietnam War.

General David Golfein, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, speaks at a press conference in Hanoi, August 18, 2019. Photo by Ha Trung.

He was referring to the return of Chinese oil survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 and escorts to Vietnamese waters in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea.

The vessel and escorts returned to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf on August 13, less than a week after leaving on August 7. The Chinese vessels had infringed on Vietnamese sea territory for around a month in their first incursion.

Goldfein referred to last month’s statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regarding the Chinese vessels entering Vietnamese waters, strongly condemning China’s infringement on Vietnam’s legitimate sovereignty, while affirming that the U.S. wants every country to have freedom of access to international waters and air spaces.

“I’d like to backup the very strong statement already made by Pompeo, when he strongly opposed operations going on right now that are challenging Vietnam’s rightful sovereignty, and its ability to operate in its waters. So our presence here is a message of commitment to accelerate our relationship,” said Goldfein.

Charles Brown Jr. said Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea go against the U.S.’s goal of maintaining an open and free Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Air Force General Charles Brown Jr. (L) and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force David Goldfein at a Hanoi press conference, August 18, 2019. Photo by Ha Trung.

In some cases, China’s actions affect the sovereignty and the EEZs of several countries in the South China Sea, he added.

He said U.S. leaders would discuss different options among themselves and with Vietnam and other relevant countries. The U.S. would also continue deploying aircraft and vessels to operate in areas allowed by international law.

China’s repeated infringement of Vietnamese waters was condemned by Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang on Friday, as she said such actions were counterproductive to regional peace and stability.

Hang also reiterated Vietnam’s clear sovereignty and jurisdiction over the waters in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

China should withdraw all vessels from Vietnamese waters, respect its sovereignty, jurisdiction and other legal, legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the UNCLOS and international law, she said.

The criticism of Le Thi Thu Hang came Friday as Chinese oil survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 and escorts returned to Vietnamese waters Tuesday after having left the nation’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf on August 7.

Vietnam has clear sovereignty and jurisdiction over the waters in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Hang said in a statement.

She said Vietnam has conveyed to China its opposition to such serious violations being repeated. The nation “requests that China withdraw all the aforementioned vessels from Vietnamese waters, while respecting its sovereignty, jurisdiction and other legal, legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the UNCLOS and international law,” Hang noted.

She said Vietnamese authorities continue to take actions to assert the nation’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights in accordance with local and international law.

Vietnam highly values peace, security and respect for the law in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, and desires to amicably resolve disputes through peaceful methods, she said.

“Vietnam also respects and wishes to boost friendly relations with China for mutual benefit and for the sake of peace, stability and security, both regionally and globally.”

Hang emphasized that Vietnam will resolutely protect its legal and legitimate rights and interests.

“Vietnam calls for relevant countries and the international community to positively contribute to the maintenance of peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea, the region and the globe.”

Concerns over South China Sea issues had cast a shadow over the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand, between July 29 and August 3.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh had denounced China’s oil survey activities at the ASEAN meeting, calling them illegal and serious violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction rights.

“As repeatedly emphasized, Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa [Paracel] and Truong Sa [Spratly] islands in accordance with international law.

“China carrying out military drills near Vietnam’s Paracel Islands has seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over these islands,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement Wednesday.

“On August 7, representatives of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry had exchanges and delivered a diplomatic note opposing China’s violations,” Hang added.

China held illegal military training exercises near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, as well as from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

In an announcement issued Monday, the Maritime Safety Administration of China’s Hainan Province said that all vessels were forbidden from entering the area while the drills were underway.

The latest drill was a continuation of similar illegal actions by China. In May last year and March this year, it had live-fire drills in areas under Vietnam’s sovereignty near the Paracel Islands, which China had seized from then-South Vietnam regime by force in 1974 and has since been occupying illegally.

Last June, it held a five-day military drill in an area north of Vietnam’s Spratly Islands, parts of which have been illegally occupied by China since 1988.

China’s latest military drills were held even as the international community has expressed concern over its recent actions in the South China Sea.

China sent oil survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 and its escorts to Vietnamese waters near the Vanguard Bank in early July, blatantly infringing upon Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Satellite images taken in June also showed that China had illegally deployed at least four J-10 fighter aircraft to Vietnam’s Woody (Phu Lam) Island, the largest island in the Paracels archipelago.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including waters close to Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

In 2012 it established the so-called Sansha City on Woody Island, which also covers several island groups and atolls in the South China Sea including the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal.