Chinese products violate Vietnam’s sovereignty On each side of the pot is an incorrect map of Vietnam without the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos. Photo: Tuoi Tre Two Chinese products violating Vietnam’s sovereignty were found in some areas during the recent Tet (lunar New Year) holiday. They are ornamental tree pots and lanterns, which have been collected and destroyed in Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong and Hai Duong. On each side of every square pot of ornamental papaya was a map of Vietnam without two archipelagoes, Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel), both of which belong to Vietnam.  Meanwhile, Chinese lanterns displayed the words “Tam Sa” (“Sansha”) in Chinese characters. Sansha is a city that was recently set up by China and illegally includes Truong Sa and Hoang Sa. Such pots have been found in Ho Chi Minh City, while the lanterns have been found in areas including Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province. Many people in Binh Thanh District reported to Tuoi Tre that they found the pots of ornamental papaya up for sale at some pagodas in the district.  On February 18, Tuoi Tre reporters found pots on display at Long Van Pagoda on Bui Dinh Tuy Street in the district. The price of a pot with a 40-50 cm tall plant was VND550,000 (US$26.4). Larger pots with true papaya were sold for VND1.8-1.95 million per pot. The person in charge of sales at the pagoda said, “The pagoda has sold a large quantity of such pots over the past 15 days.” Monk Duc Tai, who was in charge of purchasing the pots, said, “I saw the pots as beautiful. They contain a map but I have not paid attention to whether it includes the two archipelagoes of Truong Sa and Hoang Sa or not.” Many residents in Hai Phong City glued a paper 5-point yellow star over the words on the Chinese lanterns (Photo: Tuoi Tre) Collected and destroyed A local named Huy Hung told Tuoi Tre that he had bought a pot and then destroyed it after seeing the map. Yesterday in some areas of Hai Phong, Tuoi Tre witnessed many residents removing Chinese lanterns displaying the words “Sansha”. Many households in Ngo Quyen District, An Lao Town and Hong Bang District glued a paper 5-point yellow star over the words. Tran Trung Hien, the head of a residential quarter in Lach Tray Ward, Ngo Quyen District, said the ward People’s Committee had organized a meeting with the heads of residential quarters to inform them about the Chinese lanterns that violated Vietnam’s sovereignty. Through the heads, local residents have been asked not to use these lanterns, Hien said, adding that “many people have removed them and destroyed them.” Local authorities also distributed sheets of paper showing Truong Sa, Hoang Sa and Tam Sa in both Vietnamese and Chinese to residents,  These same lanterns have been found in northern Hai Duong Province as well.  The People’s Committees of Hai Phong City and of Chi Linh Town in Hai Duong Province have issued directives ordering concerned agencies to collect and destroy any such lanterns.  While talking with Tuoi Tre, Dao Minh Hai, deputy head of the Market Management Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the agency has ordered its local units to take measures to handle the issue. A resident in Lach Tray Ward, Hai Phong City looks at a sheet of paper showing Truong Sa, Hoang Sa and Tam Sa in both Vietnamese and Chinese (Photo: Tuoi Tre) TuoitreNews