MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2023) Vietnam has asked the Philippines to condemn the demonstration in Manila where the Vietnamese flag was torn in front of the country's embassy and prevent it from happening again, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang has said.
"The act of vandalising the Vietnamese national flag is an insult to the feelings of the Vietnamese people and must be severely condemned," Hang was quoted as saying at a Thursday briefing by the Viet Nam news daily. "We request the Philippines' side to strictly handle the case, taking effective measures to prevent this behaviour from occurring, which could affect the development of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries."
The protest was purportedly in response to Philippine reports alleging the militarization of the South China Sea by Vietnam.
The territorial affiliation of the South China Sea has long been disputed between China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. The situation in the sea region is often complicated by the passage of US warships, which, according to Beijing, violate international law.
