Vietnam yesterday issued a plea for peace in the dispute over the Diaoyus but has side-stepped judgments of rival claims between China and Japan.
A Foreign Ministry statement demanded 'all the relevant sides had better shown restraint'.
'We want all sides to avoid causing tensions and solve the matter through peaceful dialogue on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty and integrity,' the statement said.
Any settlement should be based on international law and the 'trends of peace, co-operation and development in the region', it added.
Vietnam is building firmer ties with China and Japan.
Its traditionally frosty relations with China - only restored in 1991 - are thawing despite on-going disputes over land and sea borders.