HANOI: Vietnam on Thursday (May 25) accused a Chinese survey vessel and its escorts of violating its sovereignty, and demanded that Beijing remove the ships from its waters.
Vietnam and China have long been embroiled in a territorial dispute over a potentially energy-rich stretch in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than US$3 trillion of commerce passes annually.
“Vietnam demands that China immediately remove the survey ship Xiang Yang Hong 10, Chinese coast guard ships and fishing vessels out of Vietnam’s waters,” foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said in a government statement.
“Vietnam has made contact with China several times and implemented measures in accordance with international law and Vietnamese law to ensure lawful and legitimate rights and interests of Vietnam,” the statement added.
The Chinese embassy in Hanoi did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.