The incident follows an global tribunal’s striking down of China’s claims over the South China Sea on July 12 in response to a petition by the Philippines.
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The hole is located in one of the more geopolitically unstable areas in the world, with surrounding countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and, of course, China duking it out for control.
The United States has been repeatedly blamed by China for fuelling tension in the disputed regions through its military patrols.
The offensive action from the Vietnamese was connected to the dispute over the South China Sea.
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015.
China has asked Vietnam to investigate reports that a Chinese visitor’s passport was handed back with obscenities written on two pages.
In May previous year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China’s farthest-ever drills from its home waters.
Both Beijing and Manila said this week that they hope to negotiate their differences, but, after the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, starting positions remain very far apart.
China is still reeling from losing an worldwide arbitration case against the Philippines over the region (See: Tribunal rules against Beijing in South China Sea dispute).
Lu reaffirmed China’s non-acceptance of the illegal and void award issued by the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. China says all disputes should be settled bilaterally through negotiations.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby urged China to be transparent about its military capabilities and intentions.
Weeks after the controversial ruling from the UN-backed tribunal in The Hague was issued, which favored the Philippines, China has become more relentless in asserting its claim in most of the vast maritime zone. Both countries have forged an alliance to counter Western powers on a range of issues such as the South China Sea, North Korea, and Syria.
Ms West is featured as one of the speakers, saying: “I think talks are crucial and that’s why we have to be careful”.
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The line marks China’s claim to territories in the South China Sea.
