Vietnam strongly protested China’s launch of weather stations in the disputed Spratly group of islands, saying on Thursday they seriously violate Vietnam’s sovereignty and complicate the situation in the South China Sea. China last week announced it started operations of the stations on three islands to offer weather forecasts to fishermen in the South China Sea region and neighboring countries, and passing ships. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told reporters at a regular briefing on Thursday that Vietnam had legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Spratlys and Paracels, and asked China to stop the action.

Vietnam protests China’s weather stations in disputed Spratlys. (2018, November 10). Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.