Vietnamese Police Disperse Protesters at Chinese Embassy over South China Sea

Police in Vietnam broke up a demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi as protesters campaigned against Beijing’s aggressive pursuit of territory in the South China Sea, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The demonstration took place as ships from the two countries remain in a prolonged standoff over an oil block belonging to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. Hanoi has accused Beijing of illegally surveying the zone and has demanded that they withdraw all their ships.

The ten protesters, who wore shirts that read “Say No to U-Line, Say Yes to UNCLOS” [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea], were reportedly dispersed by authorities within a few minutes of their arrival. The “No-U” refers to the U-shaped “nine-dash line” marking China’s claims across the area, which is full of natural resources including gas and oil.

Political protests in the communist-ruled country are rare, especially against China with whom the Vietnamese government shares close relations.

“We are doing this in front of the Chinese embassy to show our anger to the world,” Le Hoang, one of the protesters, told Reuters. “I really hope that Vietnam will launch a lawsuit in the international court against China’s violations and its illegal nine-dash line.”

In a meeting with Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Bangkok last week, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said both sides needed to “maintain peace and stability and better manage maritime disputes.”

In recent years, China has aggressively expanded its naval and coast guard force operations in an effort to take control of the territory and its natural resources, deploying weaponry including anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and electronic jammers. Beijing insists its presence in the region is for search and rescue and research purposes.

Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China of “coercion” against its Asian neighbors, highlighting a potential divide between China and some of their traditional regional allies.

Addressing a press conference in Bangkok with Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, Pompeo also urged regional allies to  “to maintain the sanctions that spur diplomacy with North Korea, to speak out against Chinese coercion in the South China Sea, to advocate for the voluntary safe and dignified return of the Rohingya to their homeland, and to confront Iranian aggression.”

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