China tensions top Asean summit talks in Myanmar

NAYPYIDAW (MYANMAR): Vietnam and the Philippines on Sunday pushed for stronger action to confront China's aggressive behavior in the South China Sea at the first Southeast Asian summit hosted by Myanmar, which was hoping to demonstrate the progress it's made since emerging from military rule.

A showdown between Chinese and Vietnamese ships near the Paracel Islands has put a spotlight on long-standing and bitter maritime disputes. The stakes are high, with Beijing claiming sovereignty over much of the strategically important waters, which are among the world's busiest transport lanes and believed to contain significant oil and gas reserves.

Several Asean members reject China's claims, saying parts of the sea are theirs. But few are willing to risk their political and economic relationship with the regional powerhouse.

A draft of the closing statement from the summit, made no direct mention of China, and Southeast Asian foreign ministers who gathered on Saturday ahead of the meeting did little beyond expressing concern and calling for self-restraint . But Vietnam and the Philippines both made it clear they wanted more.

"China has brazenly moved its deepwater drilling rig escorted by over 80 armed and military vessels and many airplanes to the Vietnamese waters," Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung was quoted as saying in a draft speech. The vessels "fired highpowered water cannons and rammed straight into the Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many ships and injuring many people on board" . He asked that concerns about the South China Sea be included in Asean's final statement.

The stand-off between China and Vietnam started on May 1 when China moved a deep sea oil rig into waters close to the Paracel Islands in what most analysts believe was an especially assertive move to help cement its claims of sovereignty over the area. Vietnam, which says the islands belong to it, immediately dispatched ships.

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