China, Vietnam Fail to Break Deadlock in South China Sea Talks

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/talks-06182014173047.html



Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (L) smiles during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (R) in Hanoi, June 18, 2014.

China, Vietnam Fail to Break Deadlock in South China Sea Talks
By Joshua Lipes
2014-06-18

Beijing and Hanoi reached an impasse in talks Wednesday over their latest territorial spat, as China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi warned Vietnam against disrupting the deployment of a controversial oil rig and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged its giant neighbor to withdraw the equipment.

Tensions have spiraled since May 2 when a Chinese state-run oil company deployed the rig near Vietnam’s coast. Many had expected the visit to Hanoi by State Councilor Yang, who ranks higher than China’s Foreign Minister, to ease the strain.

But the language used by the state media of both countries indicated that the crisis would linger on.

Yang first met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh Wednesday and accused Hanoi of stoking the confrontation in the South China Sea waters that both countries claim to be within their sovereign territory, and where ships from both nations have faced off in recent weeks.

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Yesterday's stripes.com headline:

Changing times: Door may open to US military at former Vietnam War hub

The article opened with a photo of Cam Ranh Bay circa 1970~1971.