CHINA: Beijing says Vietnam will not succeed in garnering support over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea

Record ID: 858856

  • Title: CHINA: Beijing says Vietnam will not succeed in garnering support over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea
  • Date: 12th May 2014
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (MAY 12, 2014) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING WALKING IN FOR REGULAR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING SAYING: "The facts prove that Vietnam's attempt to rope in other parties and put pressure on China will not succeed. We hope that Vietnam can see the situation clearly, calmly face up to reality, and stop harassing Chinese operations." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING SAYING: "The Paracel Islands are China's inherent territory. The Chinese companies are conducting regular operations in our own waters. China pays great attention to the situation you just mentioned, we have already demanded Vietnam take every necessary measure to effectively protect safety and legitimate rights of Chinese citizens and institutions in Vietnam." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 27th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • City:
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEBPSSLG1PK6AH3PZ82DXI2OAD
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  • Story Text: China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday (May 12) that Vietnam's efforts to garner support over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea would fail, a day after South East Asian leaders meeting for a regional summit in Myanmar refrained from criticising Beijing.
    Tensions rose in the resource-rich South China Sea last week after China positioned a giant oil rig in an area also claimed by Vietnam. Each country accused the other of ramming its ships near the disputed Paracel Islands.
    "The facts prove that Vietnam's attempt to rope in other parties and put pressure on China will not succeed. We hope that Vietnam can see the situation clearly, calmly face up to reality, and stop harassing Chinese operations," the ministry's spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news conference in Beijing.
    Speaking to fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a summit on Sunday (May 11), Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Vietnam had acted with "utmost restraint" and used all means of dialogue to request China remove the rig.
    Dung said China was slandering his country and committing dangerous violations.
    The communique issued at the end of the summit by the 10-nation ASEAN group contained no criticism of Beijing, however.
    In a measure of Vietnam's anger, hundreds of Vietnamese rallied in the country's biggest cities on Sunday to denounce China, in rare protests that looked likely to prolong the tense stand-off.
    Hua said that China "paid great attention" to the protests, and had asked Vietnam to take all available measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and organisations in Vietnam.
    "The Paracel Islands are China's inherent territory. The Chinese companies are conducting regular operations in our own waters. China pays great attention to the situation you just mentioned, we have already demanded Vietnam take every necessary measure to effectively protect safety and legitimate rights of Chinese citizens and institutions in Vietnam," she said.
    China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts or all of the oil and gas rich waters from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
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