Tension continues to grip China-Vietnam ties after China brought a deep-water oil drilling rig early this month into an area near the Paracel Islands, which are under China's effective control but also claimed by Vietnam. The move triggered violent anti-China demonstrations across Vietnam, while ships from both countries rammed each other around the disputed islands.
Vietnamese demonstrators attacked factories owned by foreign capital. Beijing said two Chinese were killed in the attacks on Chinese businesses in Vietnam, and announced partial suspension of bilateral exchanges, including tourism.
The Vietnamese government should be praised for acting in a coolheaded manner to contain the situation. Fearing a negative effect on its economy, Hanoi clamped down on anti-China demonstrations. Vietnam apparently had no other choice, given its close trade ties with China — the destination of more than 10 percent of Vietnam's exports and the source of nearly 30 percent of its imports — and the huge gap in the two countries' military capabilities.
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