Vietnamese students protest Chinese actions in disputed territories

Young Vietnamese, responding to calls on Facebook and other social media, undertook a march through Hanoi to protest China's recent actions in disputed territories in the South China Sea.

Displaying signs saying "Stop Chinese Invasion of Vietnam Lands" and singing the national anthem, a crowd of mostly Vietnamese college students demonstrated on Hanoi's streets yesterday as police blocked their path to the Chinese embassy.

Analysts say the protests highlight the growing tensions in the South China Sea with Vietnam, the Philippines and China having failed to agree on a renewal of joint exploration in the disputed area.
 
Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs last week lodged a formal protest against an incident in which Chinese naval ships threatened Vietnamese fishermen with weapons in the area of the Spratly Islands, a statement on the government website said. The ministry also protested Chinese ships cutting survey cables of a boat operated by Vietnam Oil & Gas Group, or PetroVietnam, last month.
The students said they were marching for peace and if China was allowed to continue its bullying behavior, it would upset world peace.
 
Hundreds of people had demonstrated outside the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi over the Spratly and Paracel islands in 2007.
 
The Spratly Islands have been claimed in part by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

Meanwhile, Chinese national defence minister Liang Guanglie yesterday dismissed suggestions that Beijing was carving out "a permanent naval presence" in India's neighbourhood in South Asia.

Responding to questions at a plenary session of the 10th Asia Security Summit, organised in Singapore by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, General Liang dismissed claims that China was building naval bases at Gwadar in Pakistan and at a Sri Lankan port.

Pointing out his position as a member of the Chinese State Council and Central Military Commission, he said the "government would have a very serious and careful study of an issue of such importance to the government and the military" like establishing naval bases in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

He said the government would have exact plans and set up a panel to discuss if the move was for real adding that he had not heard of it.

Spelling out China's core interests in the region in responding to Manish Tewari, Congress party's spokesman, Liang said: "The core interests include anything that is related to sovereignty, stability, and form of government. China is now pursuing socialism. If there is any attempt to reject this path, it will touch upon China's core interests.
Or, if there is any attempt to [encourage] any part of China to secede, that also touches upon China's core interests related to our land, sea, or air. Then, anything that is related to China's national [economic and social] development also touches upon China's core interests."