Beijing has accused Hanoi of “harassing” a Chinese oil rig towed into disputed waters in the South China Sea, claiming that Vietnamese vessels had “interfered” with Chinese ships 171 times since a stand-off began last Saturday.
Earlier, the US waded into the dispute , calling China’s deployment of the rig “provocative” after Vietnam said Chinese ships had rammed its vessels, injuring several sailors.
The stand-off, which involves dozens of ships from the two nations, is the latest flare-up as China gradually stakes out its claim to nearly all the waters of the South China Sea, most of which are also claimed by other neighbouring nations. China’s third-largest oil company Cnooc placed the rig about 150 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast.