HANOI (Bloomberg): Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held "frank” talks about controlling disagreements in the contested waters of the South China Sea during Li’s visit to Hanoi.
The meeting comes after Vietnam accused Chinese law enforcement of a "brutal” attack on a Vietnamese fishing vessel on Sept. 29 that threatened the lives of 10 crew members.
"The two sides exchanged sincere and frank opinions on maritime issues,” according to a statement on the Vietnamese government’s website. The countries will "appropriately control disagreements, actively seek basic and long-term solutions that are acceptable for both sides,” it said.
Vietnam has a long-standing territorial dispute in the South China Sea with China, which claims the majority of the area as its territory - an assertion that overlaps with separate claims by Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan as well as the Philippines.
China’s Foreign Ministry responded to Vietnam at the time, saying the Vietnamese boats "illegally” fished in the waters of the Paracel Islands without the permission of the Chinese government. Chinese authorities took measures to stop them, it added.
The US said it was deeply concerned by reports of "dangerous actions” by Chinese law enforcement vessels against Vietnamese fishing boats.
Read: Vietnam Opposes Alleged ‘Brutal’ Chinese Attack on Its Boat (2)
Chinh asked Li "to appropriately handle the issue of fishing vessels in line with the friendly relationship between the two countries,” and not allow sea disputes to damage ties, according to the Vietnam government statement.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for the reduction of sea tensions during at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit last week in Laos.
Vietnam and China also announced 10 agreements for projects ranging from agriculture to customs processes and railways, according to the statement. No details on value or time frame provided.
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