Update | State Councillor Yang Jiechi tells Vietnam to stop 'hyping up' oil rig tensions
Sharp remarks by State Councillor Yang Jiechi suggest little progress was made in resolving oil rig dispute in meetings with Hanoi officials
A senior Chinese official told Hanoi yesterday to stop "hyping up" tensions over an oil rig that Beijing has placed off Vietnam's coast, in remarks indicating that the two countries are still trapped in a diplomatic quagmire over the South China Sea.
State Councillor Yang Jiechi was in Hanoi for the highest-level talks between the two countries since the oil rig deployment early last month caused a nosedive in relations.
The discussions were seen as an attempt to contain the worst diplomatic crisis between the ideological allies in decades. But analysts said Yang's sharp remarks indicated no progress was made during the one-day trip.
In a move that could further stoke tensions, China's Marine Safety Administration announced on its website that another drilling platform, Nanhai No9, would be moved close to Vietnam's coast by tomorrow.
Coordinates released by the administration indicate the area is close to the Gulf of Tonkin, where the countries are negotiating on possible joint development projects. It is not clear if the rig will be in disputed waters.