China hopes Vietnam does not 'complicate' South China Sea issue

BEIJING, Nov 8 (Reuters) - China called on Vietnam on Friday
not to "complicate" the South China Sea issue, after a senior
official in Vietnam said it could explore legal action, among
various options, in its territorial dispute with China over the
waters.
Friction has grown between the two communist-run countries
since China in July sent a ship for a months-long seismic survey
to an area internationally designated as Vietnam's exclusive
economic zone (EEZ), but also claimed by China. Speaking at a conference in Hanoi on Wednesday, deputy
foreign minister Le Hoai Trung said Vietnam preferred
negotiations but did have other options for the disputed
waterway, including arbitration and litigation. Asked about the comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman
Geng Shuang said that at the core of the South China Sea problem
was Vietnam and other claimants "invading and occupying" Chinese
islands.
"We hope that Vietnam faces up to historical reality and
abides by the high-level consensus reached by both countries,
upholds the resolution of the dispute by dialogue and
consultations and avoids taking action that may complicate the
issue and disturb the broader picture of peace and stability in
the South China Sea and bilateral relations," Geng said.
China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South
China Sea where it has established military outposts on
artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan
and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.
In 2016, the Philippines won a ruling at the Permanent Court
of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated China's claim over
most of the waters following a 2013 case filed by Manila.
China refused to recognise the international court ruling
which clarified Philippine rights to energy reserves within its
EEZ.
But Vietnam's government, which aims for a measured approach
towards its largest trading partner, China, had not spoken
recently of the possibility of following suit.