Vietnam on Thursday protested China's recent activities in the disputed South China Sea, saying they seriously violate Vietnamese sovereignty.
Chinese state media reported that two Chinese civilian aircraft yesterday landed successfully on two newly built airstrips on Mischief and Subi reefs. China also said it had completed four lighthouses on disputed reefs and was launching a fifth.
The latest developments came as a UN arbitration tribunal this week ruled that China's vast territorial claims are violating international maritime law.
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, which challenged Beijing's expansive claims to virtually the entire South China Sea. Beijing says it does not recognise the decision.
Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesman le Hai Binh demanded Beijing cease actions that complicate the situation.
"Despite the opposition of Vietnam and concerns by the international community, those actions conducted by China have seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty and are unlawful and cannot change the fact about Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes," Binh told reporters, referring to the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea.