Vietnamese protesters ‘show their anger’ about Beijing’s presence in South China Sea at embassy in Hanoi

China’s maritime survey of an offshore block in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone remains a source of tension

Protests in the authoritarian and Communist-ruled Southeast Asian country are rare, and police dispersed the short-lived demonstration

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Anti-China protesters in front of the Chinese embassy in Hanoi. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:22pm, 6 Aug 2019Updated: 10:12pm, 6 Aug 2019

Vietnamese police on Tuesday broke up a brief protest outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi against Beijing’s maritime survey of an offshore block in the southeast Asian nation’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Vietnamese and Chinese ships have been in a weeks-long stand-off near the oil block, the latest confrontation in waters that are a potential global flashpoint as the United States challenges China’s sweeping maritime claims.

Protests in the authoritarian and Communist-ruled Southeast Asian country are rare, and police dispersed the short-lived demonstration of about 10 activists of the “No-U” group within minutes.

“We are doing this in front of the Chinese embassy to show our anger to the world,” said Le Hoang, one of the protesters.

Vietnam accuses Chinese survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 and its escorts of illegal activities in the country’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and has demanded that China withdraw all its ships.

Last week, a Vietnamese fishermen’s group urged the government to take stronger measures to remove the ships, saying they were disrupting fishing activities.