China says U.S. 'maliciously hyping up' S.China Sea issue

BEIJING, Aug 27 (Reuters) - China accused the United States
on Tuesday of "maliciously hyping up" the South China Sea
situation and making warrantless criticism, after the Pentagon
said China was carrying out "coercive interference" in waters
claimed by Vietnam.
A Chinese survey vessel on Saturday extended its activities
to an area closer to Vietnam's coast, ship tracking data showed,
after the United States and Australia expressed concern about
China's action in the disputed waterway. The Pentagon said China had "resumed its coercive
interference in Vietnam's longstanding oil and gas activities in
the South China Sea". Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, referring to
the China-Vietnam issue, said the United States had again and
again "made thoughtless remarks, made warrantless criticisms
against China, completely distorting the facts and confusing
right from wrong".
"China urges the United States to stop this kind of
malicious hyping up behaviour, and play a positive and
constructive role in regional and international matters," he
said.
The Haiyang Dizhi 8 vessel first entered Vietnam's exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) early last month where it began a weeks-long
seismic survey, triggering a standoff between military and
coastguard vessels from Vietnam and China.
Vietnam, which has developed increasingly close ties with
the United States, given shared concerns about China, has
demanded that Beijing removes the vessel.
Vietnam and China have for years been embroiled in a dispute
over the potentially energy-rich waters, which are also a busy
shipping lane.
The Pentagon statement came as U.S. President Donald Trump
on Monday predicted a trade deal with China after positive
gestures by it, calming global markets that have been roiled by
escalating tension between the world's two largest economies.