BEIJING--China and Vietnam sought to mend ties during a
Vietnamese official's visit to Beijing this week, but they appeared
to make little headway in finding a concrete solution to a
simmering dispute in the South China Sea.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attempted to play down tensions
between the nations during a meeting with Vietnamese special envoy
Le Hong Anh on Wednesday.
"A neighboring nation cannot be moved, and it is in the common
interests of both countries to be friendly to each other," said Mr.
Xi, according to an account by China's Foreign Ministry.
Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the
countries agreed to avoid actions in the South China Sea that would
heighten tensions as they seek lasting agreements that would help
to resolve the maritime row.
Relations between the neighboring nations had been strained
since May, when a Chinese oil rig appeared unannounced in disputed
South China Sea waters to begin exploration. The move drew
criticism from Vietnam, which dispatched government vessels to
confront the rig, leading to a series of ramming incidents between
Chinese and Vietnamese vessels.
The two-month standoff marked the sharpest deterioration of
China-Vietnam relations in years. Washington has criticized
Beijing's actions as provocative. China has described the
deployment of the rig as a normal business activity on the part of
one of its companies.
It remains to be seen whether Mr. Xi's remarks mean China will
slow its South China Sea push. China claims nearly the entire sea
as historical waters, an assertion that brings it into conflict
with neighbors such as Vietnam and the Philippines. Along with
China, five other governments claim parts of the South China
Sea.
The rig at the center of the latest dispute, HYSY 981, is
controlled by China National Offshore Oil Corp., the country's main
state-controlled offshore oil producer. The rig was operating in
waters around the disputed Paracel Islands chain, which is claimed
by both China and Vietnam.
The rig was removed from the disputed waters in mid-July after
Cnooc said it had completed drilling and exploration in the waters
around Triton Island, or Zhongjian Island in Chinese, part of the
Paracels.
The dispute over the rig led to deadly riots in Vietnam and
attacks against Chinese businesses. At least five Chinese nationals
were killed in the violence, and Chinese and other foreign
factories were looted and burned.
Vu Trong Khanh in Hanoi contributed to this article.
Write to Brian Spegele at brian.spegele@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires