REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BERLIN -- Hundreds of overseas Vietnamese (OV) in Frankfurt am Main and its neighbouring regions on February 28 staged a demonstration at the Chinese Consulate-General in Germany to protest China's military actions in the East Sea, which have escalated tension.

They held a ceremony to commemorate heroes and martyrs who laid down their lives to protect the nation's sovereignty and borders.

Wearing red t-shirts printed with a gold star, the demonstrators handed out leaflets popularising Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos in the East Sea. They shouted slogans and held up banners opposing China's pilot flights to an illegally built airport on Chu Thap (Fiery Cross) reef as well as deployment of HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles on Phu Lam island and continued activities to transform island and reef into military bases.

The demonstrators then moved to Roemer Square to disseminate the information on Vietnam's land and islands. The protest drew attention from locals and tourists visiting Frankfurt.

At a regular press conference held on February 25, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh said "Vietnam has indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos".

The spokesman said China's acts, regardless of objections and concerns raised by Vietnam and the international community, not only seriously violate Vietnam's sovereignty and accelerate militarisation in the East Sea, but also threaten peace and stability in the region, as well as maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom in the Sea.

"Vietnam strongly opposes actions that seriously infringed on its sovereignty and demands China act responsibly to maintain peace and stability in the region and the world with respect for international laws such as the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)." Binh said.

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