The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has instructed enterprises to review contracts and legal documents to ensure imported goods do not violate Viet Nam’s sovereignty and territory with false images.

The move comes after a number of enterprises imported goods which featured pictures of China’s illegal nine-dash line in the East Sea.

China has established the so-called nine-dash line to claim more than 90 per cent of the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. The line was rejected internationally because it did not conform to the prevailing international law of the sea. Viet Nam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims in the waters which are believed to be rich in energy resources.

MoIT said the content was prohibited because they misrepresented historical facts, causing confusion about territorial sovereignty and national borders.

“Businesses that broke the law have been strictly handled with,” the ministry said.

The ministry also asked businesses to strictly monitor all goods before importing, ensuring they are not installed with equipment, documents or images that infringed on Viet Nam's border.

For high-risk items such as publications, maps, globes, display devices and software-based devices, businesses have been told to ask sellers for a written commitment not to attach, install or use equipment, documents or images that violated Viet Nam’s sovereignty and territory.

"Enterprises should immediately notify local customs and market watch agencies if they notice any such things," the ministry added.

In recent months, violations included children’s toys and imported cars.

One case was recently found in Ha Noi’s Ha Dong District. An inspection team discovered a toy shop selling jigsaws with China’s illegal nine-dash line in the East Sea.

Another violation related to a GPS map in a luxury car spotted by Viet Nam Customs early this month.

The five-seater Volkswagen Touareg was imported by the Auto World JSC. Volkswagen Viet Nam later displayed the car at the Vietnam International Motor Show 2019 last month in HCM City.

The importer would be fined while the car, which is worth more than VND4 billion ($173,000), would be confiscated, said customs.

On October 31, the Customs Office in Hai Phong City’s Dinh Vu Port found seven Hanteng cars imported from China with GPS maps displaying images of China’s illegal nine-dash line. The illegal information appeared on the screen when the engines were started.

In a question and answer session at the National Assembly earlier this month, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said electronic products and software in imported cars installed with the nine-dash line was a new phenomenon.

“The ministry will temporarily suspend automobile import business licences until enterprises fulfil their responsibilities,” Anh told NA delegates. — VNS