China rejects Vietnam's 'unwarranted accusations' over construction in disputed Paracel Islands

China on Thursday rejected what it called "unwarranted accusations" from Vietnam after Hanoi protested Beijing's construction activities at Antelope Reef in the disputed Paracel Islands, saying the work falls within its "sovereign rights."

Vietnam protests China’s reclamation, construction activities on disputed reef

Vietnam has protested China’s reclamation and construction activities at Antelope Reef in the disputed Paracel Islands, saying the work violates its sovereignty and international law.

Washington Rejects Beijings Accusation Of US Cruiser Intrusion In Chinese Waters

The United States Navy's 7th Fleet denied on Tuesday Beijing's statement about an intrusion of a US missile cruiser Chancellorsville into Chinese waters.

US Navy Ship Again Sails near Disputed South China Sea Islands - Tasnim News Agency

A US Navy destroyer sailed near the disputed Spratly Islands on Saturday, the US Navy said, its second such "freedom of navigation" operation in a week in the South China Sea.

Mer de Chine: Pékin proteste après le passage d'un navire américain

La Chine a déclaré mercredi qu'elle "répondra aux provocations répétées de l'armée américaine" après une nouvelle entrée d'un navire de l'US Navy dans des eaux revendiquées par Pékin en mer de Chine méridionale.

China’s FM slams US destroyer for sailing close to South China Sea island

China’s foreign ministry denounced US destroyer USS Stethem for sailing close to an island in the South China Sea on Sunday.

China confident of ability to deal with provocation in South China Sea, says Defense Ministry spokesperson

The Chinese military adopts a defensive policy when it comes to national security, and is fully confident of its ability to protect China's sovereignty if foreign warships should stir up trouble in the South China Sea, a spokesperson from the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

China: arbitral court's ruling has no effect on maritime rights

China said on Thursday that the decision of the South China Sea arbitration will not affect its territorial integrity or maritime rights in the South China Sea.

ASEAN states warned over US provocation

Increased maritime problems involving the United States could hijack the interests of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its members, according to a regional expert.

Japan Donates 2 More Patrol Boats to Vietnam Amid S. China Sea Tensions

Japan has delivered to Vietnam another two ships that will be refurbished into patrol boats in disputed waters of the South China Sea.

China lashes out at Philippines'playing up 'China threat'

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized remarks by a top Philippine military official as playing up the fallacy of the so-called "China threat" on Friday.

China opposes US annual report on Chinese military

The Defense Ministry on Saturday expressed firm opposition to a Pentagon report on China's military development and security.

China Expands Island Building (Pentagon)

China has started building artificial islands in the South China Sea at a greater rate than ever to boost its territorial claims in the area, a U.S. Defense Department senior official said Friday.

China pulls out its drilling platform from disputable Paracel Islands

China has begun removing its drilling platform Haiyang Shiyou 981 from the disputable part of the South China Sea where its operation has caused serious tensions with Hanoi.

The drilling platform was put in the area of the Paracel Islands, disputed by China and Vietnam, 75 days ago. Initially, Beijing said the platform would be prospecting for oil and gas until August 15. Vietnam said this was unacceptable and accused Beijing of “serious violation” of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China says will never send military to oil rig spat with Vietnam

BEIJING - A Chinese official said on Friday that China will never send military forces to the scene of an increasingly ugly spat with Vietnam over an oil rig in the South China Sea and accused Hanoi of trying to force an international lawsuit.
A senior U.S. official in Washington dismissed the Chinese statement as "patently ridiculous" and said Beijing had been using air force and navy as well as coastguard assets "to intimidate others."

Scores of Vietnamese and Chinese ships, including coastguard vessels, have squared off around the rig despite a series of collisions after the Chinese platform was towed into disputed waters in early May.

Vietnam's allegation China send warships to guard oil rig "inaccurate"

Vietnam's allegation that China has sent six warships to guard the 981 oil rig is inaccurate, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday.

Hua said at a routine press briefing that due to Vietnam's continuous, forceful and illegal disruptions, China has sent government vessels to the 981 oil rig operation site for security, instead of warships for military support.

Relevant operations by China are normal activities in the contiguous area of China's Xisha Islands, Hua stressed, noting it is totally unjustifiable for the Vietnamese side to send large amounts of vessels, including armed ones to continuously, forcefully and illegally disrupt China's normal operations.

Xisha Islands: Vietnam's Provocation and China's Position

China's Foreign Ministry released an article about the HYSY 981 drilling rig in the Xisha Islands on its website on Sunday. The full text is as follows:

The Operation of the HYSY 981 Drilling Rig: Vietnam's Provocation and China's Position

I. The operation of the HYSY 981 drilling rig

On 2 May 2014, a Chinese company's HYSY 981 drilling rig started its drilling operation inside the contiguous zone of China's Xisha Islands for the purpose of oil and gas exploration. With the first phase of the operation completed, the second phase began on 27 May. The two locations of operation are 17 nautical miles from both the Zhongjian Island of China's Xisha Islands and the baseline of the territorial waters of Xisha Islands, yet approximately 133 to 156 nautical miles away from the coast of the Vietnamese mainland.

Biden cautions China in its dispute with Vietnam

Vice President Joe Biden is conveying America's objections about China's behavior in a territorial dispute with Vietnam to the top brass of the Chinese military.

Biden met on Thursday with Fang Fenghui, the military's general chief of staff. The White House says Biden told Fang the US was seriously concerned about China's unilateral actions.

Biden told Fang the US doesn't take a side in the territorial confrontation between the two countries over an area in the South China Sea. That's where China has triggered protests in Vietnam by deploying an oil rig in the long-disputed seas. One person has been killed, a Chinese worker in Vietnam.

Chinese flee riots in Vietnam for Cambodia

A Cambodian official says hundreds of Chinese people have crossed into Cambodia from Vietnam in the wake of deadly anti-Chinese riots in the country's south.

Interior Ministry Spokesman Khieu Sopheak told the Anadolu Agency on Thursday that nearly 600 Chinese citizens had left Vietnam through the Bavet border crossing on Wednesday.
Bavet is on the main road between Vietnam's largest city Ho Chi Minh, and Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

The number of crossings represented a noticeable uptick, Sopheak added.

China: Vietnam has infringed on China’s sovereignty

Yi Xianliang, deputy director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of China’s Foreign Ministry, has said the Islands are the inherent territory of China and there are no disputes in this area.

Yi said China has been shocked by the interference from the Vietnamese side against China’s normal drilling operations there. The Chinese vessels at the scene are only government and civil vessels, but the Vietnamese side has deployed many armed vessels.

He added China’s drilling operations are being conducted in waters only 17 nautical miles from China’s Xisha Islands.