(14 May 2014) China expressed "serious concern" on Wednesday with protests in Vietnam against its recent placement of an oil rig in disputed Southeast Asian waters.
China's foreign ministry and its embassy in Hanoi issued warnings to its citizens and urged Vietnam's government to protect them after mobs torched and looted scores of foreign-owned factories following a large protest by workers near Ho Chi Minh City.
"I think it's quite obvious who the provoker is," foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. "(It's clear) who the victim is, who is trying to calm the situation, and who is escalating tension."
The current standoff close to the disputed Paracel Islands, which China calls the Xisha Islands, has led to fears of a fully blown naval confrontation between the two nations.
Vietnam says the islands fall within its continental shelf and 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
China has shown no signs of backing down, and accused Vietnam on Wednesday of "hyping" the issue.
"We urge Vietnam to stop all provocative actions, come to their senses, and stop all acts intended to create disturbances," Hua said.
The standoff underlines China's pursuit of its territorial claims despite complaints from smaller nations such as Vietnam and the Philippines, which also claim parts of the waters.
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