Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi met Vietnamese Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh at the government’s guest house in Hanoi on Wednesday.
>> China deploys 17 more ships to guard illegal rig in Vietnam’s waters
The two countries’ top diplomats were expected to have direct talks about the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 that Beijing has illegally placed in Hanoi waters in the East Vietnam Sea since May 1.
Yang’s visit is the highest-level direct contact between the two sides since the drilling platform was towed into Vietnam’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
This meeting is believed to be geared to find solutions for tensions in the sea area.
Over the last one month and a half, China has deployed a huge number of vessels, including big iron-clad fishing boats, to guard its oil rig and attack Vietnamese vessels, including fishing boats.
China’s large iron-clad fishing boats have rammed a dozen Vietnamese fishing boats in the waters, injuring several fishermen, and damaging their vessels.
Notably, on May 26, Chinese vessel #11209 slammed into and sank Vietnamese fishing boat DNa 90152 with ten crew members aboard. All the Vietnamese fishermen were rescued by another Vietnamese fishing boat the same day.
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (L), who outranks the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh during their meeting at the government’s guest house in Hanoi on June 18, 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi was present at the Vietnamese government’s guest house in Hanoi to have talks with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh at 9:30 am on June 18, 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Delegates from the two sides were expected to have direct talks about Beijing’s oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 that has been illicitly positioned in Vietnamese waters since May 1. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (second right) is pictured at the meeting with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (not seen) at the government’s guest house in Hanoi on June 18, 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (first left) is seen at the meeting at the government’s guest house in Hanoi on June 18, 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre
54-year-old Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, who outranks the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, met Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh for the first time during their meeting at the government’s guest house in Hanoi on June 18, 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre
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Đăng ký: VietNam News