China on Monday rejected Vietnam's protests against its test flights to a newly built airport on a reef in the South China Sea as "groundless," stressing the test flights "fall totally within China's sovereignty."
"China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters. China's test flights to the newly built airport on Yongshu Jiao fall totally within China's sovereignty," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei at a daily press briefing.
China on Wednesday conducted two test flights landing on and taking off from its southernmost airport on Yongshu Jiao, which it is developing for humanitarian purposes, including emergency landings and maritime rescue.
"The accusations that China's test flights 'threaten the safety of all flights in the region' are entirely groundless," Hong said in response to reports that Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) director Lai Xuan Thanh sent a protest letter about the flights to Beijing, as well as a complaint to the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
In quotes published in the Vietnamese official online newspaper Zing.vn late Friday, Lai said Chinese aircraft "have ignored all the rules and norms of the ICAO by not providing any flight plans or maintaining any radio contact with Vietnam's air traffic control center."
"Vietnam's claims that it has not received notification from China does not conform to the facts at all," Hong said at the press briefing.
On Dec. 28, 2015, the Flight Inspection Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) notified the authority of the Flight Information Region of Ho Chi Minh City of detailed technical information for test flights, including the flight plans and air route, in line with relevant rules and international norms, "but Vietnam has not given any feedback so far," said Hong.
In addition to notifications via the professional channel, China also gave special technical notification and explanations to Vietnam's foreign ministry on Dec. 30, 2015, Hong added.
"Unfortunately, Vietnam ignored that the test flights are professional, civil and for the international public good, and has continued to disturb China's normal activities for no reason," Hong said.
In order to ensure the test flights' safe implementation, China ultimately decided to turn the flights into a national aviation activity and sent civilian planes to complete the flights, the spokesperson said.
According to international laws, there is no restriction on national aviation activities in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and other related rules of the ICAO, Hong added.
It is stated in the Convention on International Civil Aviation that the aircraft of states, other than scheduled international air services, have the right to make flights across states' territories and to make landings without obtaining prior permission.
Hong said China successfully completed the test flights at the airport on Yongshu Jiao on its own.
The inspection results show that the new airport accords with the standards of civil aviation and has the ability to ensure civilian airplanes' safety, said Hong, adding that it can facilitate personnel exchanges in the region and lift public service capabilities, including maritime rescues in the South China Sea.
