CHINA, VIETNAM REACH CONSENSUS ON SEA DISPUTE

Both will engage in friendly consultations, dialogue to control and manage South China Sea issues

HANOI leaders, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said national leaders of the two countries had many “deep, frank” discussions on maritime issues.

“They reached an important consensus,” Chen said.

“Both sides will uphold the principle of friendly consultations and dialogue to jointly manage and control maritime disputes, and protect the bigger picture of developing Sino-Vietnam relations and stability in the South China Sea.”

Vietnam’s deputy prime minister, Pham Binh Minh, said in a statement late on Thursday that he had proposed in a meeting with Wang that the two countries resolve disputes based on common sense and international law.

The latter point is a contentious one in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has long said China’s extensive territorial claim has no legal basis.

China and Southeast Asian countries were willing and able to handle the South China Sea issue themselves, Chen said, in an oblique reference to the United States, whose comments on the dispute and naval patrols in the waterway have angered Beijing.

“We also hope countries outside the region can objectively view positive change in the South China Sea situation, and do more for peace and stability in the region,” Chen said.

China had appeared uneasy at Vietnamese efforts to rally Southeast Asian countries over the busy swathe of sea, as well as at its neighbour’s growing defence ties with the US, Japan and India.

In July, under pressure from Beijing, Vietnam suspended oil drilling in offshore waters, also claimed by China.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also claimed parts of the South China Sea, and disputed China’s contention of sovereignty over most of the waters.

China had undertaken more construction and reclamation in the South China Sea, recent satellite images showed, and was likely to more powerfully reassert its claims over the waterway soon, regional diplomats and military officers say.

Xi is also visiting Laos during his tour, another communist-run country once firmly in Vietnam’s orbit, but which is now increasingly close to Beijing, and the site of several major Chinese infrastructure projects. Reuters