After the treaty signed with the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19 century, France represented Vietnam in international affairs and exercised sovereignty over the islands
• With the departure of the French , South Vietnam placed border markers on the Spratlys indicating its sovereignty over the group. It controlled most of the islands until 1975 when North Vietnam (Socialist Republic of Vietnam later on) took over
• As such, they consider Chinese occupation of the Paracels after 1974 and selected Spratlys after 1988 illegal ; it does not regard the letter from PM Pham Van Dong to China in 1958 as ceding Vietnam’s claims
• Vietnam