Buzz
Question 1: Could you list the maritime zones of Vietnam according to the 2012 Vietnamese Law of the Sea and their legal regime?
Answer to Question 1 of the National Defense and Security Knowledge Enrichment Class 4
2. Maritime Zone:
- Maritime zone refers to the sea area with a width of 12 nautical miles measured from the baseline outwards. The outer boundary of the maritime zone is the national maritime boundary of Vietnam.
- Legal regime of the maritime zone:
+ The state exercises full and exclusive sovereignty over the maritime zone and the airspace, seabed, and subsoil beneath the seabed of the maritime zone in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982.
+ Vessels of all nations enjoy the right of innocent passage in the maritime zone of Vietnam. Regarding foreign military vessels exercising the right of innocent passage in the maritime zone of Vietnam, prior notification shall be given to the competent authority of Vietnam.
3. Adjacent Maritime Zone
- The adjacent maritime zone is the contiguous sea area lying outside Vietnam's maritime zone, with a width of 12 nautical miles measured from the outer boundary of the maritime zone.
- Legal regime of the adjacent maritime zone:
+ The state exercises sovereignty rights, sovereign jurisdiction, and other rights stipulated in Article 16 of this Law over the adjacent maritime zone.
+ The state exercises control in the adjacent maritime zone to prevent and deal with violations of customs, tax, health, immigration laws and regulations occurring within the territory or in the maritime zone of Vietnam.
4. Exclusive Economic Zone
- The exclusive economic zone is the contiguous sea area lying outside Vietnam's maritime zone, extending seaward to form a sea area with a width of 200 nautical miles measured from the baseline.
- Legal regime of the exclusive economic zone
* Within the exclusive economic zone, the State exercises:
a) Sovereignty rights over exploration, exploitation, management, and conservation of resources within the water column, seabed, and subsoil beneath the seabed; over other activities for the exploration and exploitation of this area for economic purposes;
b) National jurisdiction rights over the installation and use of artificial islands, structures, and facilities on the sea; marine scientific research, and protection and preservation of the marine environment;
c) Other rights and obligations consistent with international law.
* The State respects the freedom of navigation and overflight; the right to lay submarine cables, pipelines, and lawful use of the sea by other countries within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone in accordance with this Law and international conventions to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party, without prejudice to Vietnam's sovereignty rights, national jurisdiction rights, and national interests at sea.
Installation of submarine cables and pipelines must obtain written approval from the competent state authority of Vietnam.
* Foreign organizations and individuals may participate in exploration, use, exploitation of resources, scientific research, installation of equipment, and facilities within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone based on international conventions to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party, contracts signed in accordance with Vietnamese law, or with the permission of the Government of Vietnam.
* Rights related to the seabed and subsoil beneath the seabed shall be exercised in accordance with the provisions of Article 17 and Article 18 of this Law.
