BBC News - Vietnam plans live-fire drill amid South China Sea row
Related. BBC News - Vietnam and China hackers escalate Spratly Islands row
What would the U.S do if disputes burst into skirmishes or open conflict? Considering the vast supply of natural gas and oil in the region, would America step in were a Chinese-Vietnamese row to escalate?
Vietnam has said it will hold live-fire exercises in the South China Sea amid escalating tensions with China over disputed waters.
Vietnam warned vessels to stay out of the area off its central coast when it conducts the drills on Monday.
It follows a verbal clash with China over sovereignty in the area.
China reacted angrily after Vietnam said a Chinese fishing boat rammed cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone.
Beijing said Chinese fishing boats were chased away by armed Vietnamese ships in the incident on Thursday.
One of the Chinese boats became tangled with the cables of a Vietnamese oil exploring vessel, which continued to drag the Chinese vessel for more than an hour before the net had to be cut, the foreign ministry said.
China accused Vietnam of "gravely violating" its sovereignty, saying Vietnam's actions had endangered Chinese sailors' lives, and warned it to stop "all invasive activities".
'Premeditated'
Beijing's strong-worded statement followed Vietnam's accusation that a Chinese fishing boat had "intentionally rammed" the exploration cables of a Vietnamese boat - the second such incident in two weeks.
Vietnam said the "premeditated and carefully calculated" attack was part of China's attempts to control disputed waters.
Vietnam now says it will stage live ammunition drills on Monday in an area off central Quang Nam province.
The announcement was made on Friday on the website of the state-owned Northern Maritime Safety Co-operation, warning all vessels to avoid the area.
It said the decision to hold the exercises was taken on 7 June.
China is engaged in maritime border disputes with several countries.
The South China Sea includes important shipping routes and may contain rich oil and gas deposits.
The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area. The US has also expressed concern about China's rising naval ambitions.
Vietnam warned vessels to stay out of the area off its central coast when it conducts the drills on Monday.
It follows a verbal clash with China over sovereignty in the area.
China reacted angrily after Vietnam said a Chinese fishing boat rammed cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone.
Beijing said Chinese fishing boats were chased away by armed Vietnamese ships in the incident on Thursday.
One of the Chinese boats became tangled with the cables of a Vietnamese oil exploring vessel, which continued to drag the Chinese vessel for more than an hour before the net had to be cut, the foreign ministry said.
China accused Vietnam of "gravely violating" its sovereignty, saying Vietnam's actions had endangered Chinese sailors' lives, and warned it to stop "all invasive activities".
'Premeditated'
Beijing's strong-worded statement followed Vietnam's accusation that a Chinese fishing boat had "intentionally rammed" the exploration cables of a Vietnamese boat - the second such incident in two weeks.
Vietnam said the "premeditated and carefully calculated" attack was part of China's attempts to control disputed waters.
Vietnam now says it will stage live ammunition drills on Monday in an area off central Quang Nam province.
The announcement was made on Friday on the website of the state-owned Northern Maritime Safety Co-operation, warning all vessels to avoid the area.
It said the decision to hold the exercises was taken on 7 June.
China is engaged in maritime border disputes with several countries.
The South China Sea includes important shipping routes and may contain rich oil and gas deposits.
The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area. The US has also expressed concern about China's rising naval ambitions.
Computer hackers from Vietnam and China have attacked websites including portals run by each other's governments, amid a sea-border row.
The hackers replaced content on the sites with abuse and national symbols.
Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said his country's claims to territory in the South China Sea were incontestable.
Chinese officials later warned other Asian nations to halt exploration for minerals in the area.
Both sides claim ownership of islands in the South China Sea.
The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area.
'Strong determination'
On the weekend, hundreds of Vietnamese protested against Chinese naval operations in disputed waters.
Relations between Vietnam and China have long been awkward, but public protests are extremely rare.
The demonstrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City followed a confrontation between a Vietnamese ship and Chinese patrol boats last month.
Hanoi accused a Chinese patrol of cutting the cables of a Vietnamese ship conducting seismic research about 120km (80 miles) off Vietnam's coast.
At the time of the incident, China said that Vietnamese vessels had been operating "illegally", adding that the country should "refrain from creating trouble".
On Thursday, Prime Minister Dung made his first comments on the row, saying Vietnam's sovereignty was incontestable in areas of the Paracel and Spratly island groups.
"We continue to affirm strongly and to manifest the strongest determination of all the party, of all the people and of all the army in protecting Vietnamese sovereignty in maritime zones and islands of the country," Mr Dung said in comments reported by the Thanh Nien newspaper.
Later, Vietnamese officials accused a Chinese fishing boat of once again intentionally ramming cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone.
And separately, China's ambassador to the Philippines, Liu Jianchao, warned other countries to stop prospecting for oil in the area.
The disputed islands are largely uninhabited, but the area includes important shipping routes and may contain oil and gas deposits.
The hackers replaced content on the sites with abuse and national symbols.
Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said his country's claims to territory in the South China Sea were incontestable.
Chinese officials later warned other Asian nations to halt exploration for minerals in the area.
Both sides claim ownership of islands in the South China Sea.
The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area.
'Strong determination'
On the weekend, hundreds of Vietnamese protested against Chinese naval operations in disputed waters.
Relations between Vietnam and China have long been awkward, but public protests are extremely rare.
The demonstrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City followed a confrontation between a Vietnamese ship and Chinese patrol boats last month.
Hanoi accused a Chinese patrol of cutting the cables of a Vietnamese ship conducting seismic research about 120km (80 miles) off Vietnam's coast.
At the time of the incident, China said that Vietnamese vessels had been operating "illegally", adding that the country should "refrain from creating trouble".
On Thursday, Prime Minister Dung made his first comments on the row, saying Vietnam's sovereignty was incontestable in areas of the Paracel and Spratly island groups.
"We continue to affirm strongly and to manifest the strongest determination of all the party, of all the people and of all the army in protecting Vietnamese sovereignty in maritime zones and islands of the country," Mr Dung said in comments reported by the Thanh Nien newspaper.
Later, Vietnamese officials accused a Chinese fishing boat of once again intentionally ramming cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone.
And separately, China's ambassador to the Philippines, Liu Jianchao, warned other countries to stop prospecting for oil in the area.
The disputed islands are largely uninhabited, but the area includes important shipping routes and may contain oil and gas deposits.
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