FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Congressional Actions to Support Peace and Stability in the Indo-Pacific
(Washington, D.C. – Jan 11, 2024) – Vietnamese pro-democracy organization, Viet Tan, in collaboration with bipartisan Members of Congress will be hosting a briefing marking 50 years of China’s invasion and occupation of Vietnam’s Paracel Islands. The event will be on Thursday, January 18, 2024 from 3:00-4:30 P.M. in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2060.
Invited speakers include Rep. Chris Smith, Senior Member of House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chair of Congressional-Executive Commission on China; Rep. Young Kim, Chair of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific; Rep. Lou Correa, Co-Chair of Congressional Caucus on Vietnam; Dan Hoang, Executive Director of Viet Tan; Chris MacLeod, Founding Partner of Cambridge LLP, and Dang Dinh Manh, Human Rights Lawyer. Additional Members of Congress and speakers to be announced.
On January 19, 1974, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) invaded the Paracel (Hoang Sa) Islands, which had been under Vietnam’s sovereignty since the early 19th century. In subsequent years, the PRC forcibly seized other islands and features belonging to Vietnam (1988) and the Philippines (2012).
China’s illegal seizure and continued occupation of the Paracels and other islands in the Spratlys is a violation of the U.N. Charter. Most recently, China’s “10-dash line” map, which lays claim to almost the entire South China Sea, poses a direct threat to the Indo-Pacific region and has been rejected by countries around the world.
The United States plays a crucial role in ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Congress must act to strengthen the United States’ global position and ability to meet the challenges in the region.
For more information, contact Mr. Dzung Tran at dtran@viettan.org and (240) 244-6566.
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