Updated
China has rejected Vietnamese claims it acted aggressively in the South China Sea and called for a peaceful end to a bitter row.
The dispute was sparked by Beijing's parking of a giant oil rig in contested waters.
Chinese vice foreign minister Cheng Guoping says no "clash" occurred.
He was responding to Vietnam's claims that Chinese vessels used water cannon and intentionally rammed eight of its ships, seriously damaging two, and wounding six sailors.
"I don't believe there was a clash," Mr Cheng said. "I think this was a difference of opinion on some disputes.
"The area in dispute is Chinese territory and of course we will maintain the country's core interests and defend our sovereignty. Vietnam should know this."
But another senior Chinese official says there were collisions and blamed Vietnam.
Deputy director-general of China's department of boundary and ocean affairs Yi Xianliang says Vietnamese ships intentionally clashed with Chinese vessels in the area.
China is demanding Vietnam withdraw its ships from the disputed part of the South China Sea.
Beijing says Hanoi has sent armed vessels to the area, but China only had civilian ships there.
Mr Cheng says the two countries should resolve disputes through "peaceful talks".
"This dispute is not about the entire relationship between China and Vietnam. It's localised. It is controllable."
Vietnam hints at legal action
The two Communist nations have sought to put aside border disputes and memories of a brief border war in 1979.
Vietnam is usually careful about comments against China because it relies on it for political support and has bilateral trade worth more than $US50 billion.
Still, Hanoi has strongly condemned the operation of the drilling rig, the first such action by Beijing in contested waters.
Vietnam says China has parked about 80 ships around the rig.
Hanoi has also hinted at international legal action.
US assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Daniel Russel has reiterated Washington's concerns about "dangerous conduct and intimidation by vessels" in the disputed area.
He met senior Vietnamese leaders on Thursday and says the row was discussed at length.
"It's fair to say both Vietnam and China have rights to claim sovereignty over the Paracels (islands)," Mr Russel said.
"It is not for the US to say which position is stronger. It's within the rights of the United States and the international community to call all parties to address the dispute in a peaceful way."
Japanese concern
Meanwhile, Japan says it's "deeply worried" by China's behaviour and urged Beijing to rein in its "provocative" actions.
Japan and China continue to face off in their own territorial row over a small island grouping in the East China Sea.
"We have strong concerns as there is information that many Vietnamese vessels were damaged and some people were injured," chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said.
"We are deeply worried as regional tensions have risen with China unilaterally starting rigging activities in disputed waters.
"We recognise this incident is part of China's unilateral and provocative maritime activities."
Row rocks Vietnam markets
Vietnam's row with its neighbour sent stocks markets plummeting on Thursday.
The benchmark VN Index in Ho Chi Minh City closed down nearly 6 per cent, its biggest one-day fall in almost 13 years.
The country's State Securities Commission issued a statement urging investors to respond rationally to news about the dispute.
"We suggest investors stay calm, careful and avoid being taken advantage of," the statement said.
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4 comments:
That china territory so china can do anything if they want they should break them down one time next time they will scare some others countries and they will obey to the neighbors stay in peace togethers.
I support this island is china territory not vietnam,vietnam just resettlement about 100 yeas in south east asia and china live there about millions years who is right ?
Stupidity!!!
First, humans civilization only known existing less than 10,000 years NOT A MILLIONS YEARS. Please give an accurate comments not ignorant.
As Cambodian most of us despised Vietnamese governments ambitions through out centuries. They always came up with a plans to annex Cambodia's territories such as Kampuchea Khrom, Koh Tral isl, Koh Kros jeuk Ses isl, and moving ever deeper into Cambodia interior land borders.
The Viets were also directly creating those low life, ignorant, uneducated Khmer Rough regime. The Viets also infiltrated thousands of it's agents within Khmer Rough ranks causing unbalance, mistrust, paranoids among KR. The results may be 3 millions of our brothers & sisters dead. So you can see why Cambodian should careless if the Vietnamese were now getting a taste of their own medicines. I hope the Vietnamese send out their armed Navy vessels to confront PLAN (China People Liberation Navy)so those Viet's ships and sailors will be at the bottom of the South China sea. The world were very quieted when those Vietnamese are stealing Cambodia territories because Cambodian were poor and not benefits them.
Go PLA, PLAN, PLAAF destroy those Viets. We Cambodian will be cheering for China against Vietnam. We hope America please stay out of this one. America please remember some 59,000 G.I killed, millions wounded in your war against these VC/NVA.
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