UPDATE 1-U.S. 'deeply concerned' by China's interference in Vietnam oil and gas activity

(Updates with quotes from U.S. statement)
WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The United States said on
Thursday it is deeply concerned about China's interference in
oil and gas activities in waters claimed by Vietnam, saying this
called into serious question Beijing's commitment to peaceful
resolution of maritime disputes.
A State Department statement said China's redeployment of a
government-owned survey vessel, together with armed escorts,
into waters off Vietnam on Aug. 13 was "an escalation by Beijing
in its efforts to intimidate other claimants out of developing
resources in the South China Sea."
Vietnam, which has developed increasingly close ties with
Washington given shared concerns about China, has demanded that
Beijing remove the vessel amid a month-long standoff in waters
seen as a potential global flashpoint. The Haiyang Dizhi 8 first entered waters that Vietnam claims
as its exclusive economic zone in July and appeared to conduct a
seismic survey. It left the area on Aug. 7 and returned a week
later escorted by Chinese coast guard vessels.
The State Department said that in recent weeks China had
taken "a series of aggressive steps to interfere" with
long-standing economic activities in the South China Sea by
rival claimants to the disputed waters from the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
It said Beijing's aim was "to coerce them to reject
partnerships with foreign oil and gas firms, and to work only
with China's state-owned enterprises." It said China was
pressuring Vietnam over its work with a Russian energy firm and
other international partners.
"China's actions undermine regional peace and security,
impose economic costs on Southeast Asian states by blocking
their access to an estimated $2.5 trillion in unexploited
hydrocarbon resources," it said.
The State Department said U.S. energy firms had interests in
the South China Sea and Washington was "committed to bolstering
the energy security of our partners and allies in the
Indo-Pacific region and in ensuring uninterrupted regional oil
and gas production for the global market."
U.S. warships have conducted periodic "freedom of
navigation" operations in the South China Sea to challenge
China's claim to nearly all of the strategic waterway.
Beijing's top diplomat, Wang Yi, said last month that
maritime problems involving Vietnam should not interfere with
their ties. [nL4N24X2OI}


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Vietnam demands Chinese ship leaves its exclusive economic zone
says Vietnam 'maritime problems' should not impinge on
bilateral ties ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>