China has welcomed Vietnam's decision to compensate the victims of the anti-China protests in May, a move aimed at removing a thorn that has hurt relations between the two countries for months.
In his written response to questions provided by Reuters over China's recent deployment of an oil rig in one of areas Vietnam has claimed as theirs, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung mentioned mulling over legal actions aside from various measures to defend its territorial claim, GMA News reported.
The government of China has reacted strongly to an unsealed indictment by the US Justice Department accusing five Chinese military men of economic espionage, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Without mentioning China, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations said in a statement yesterday that all parties involved in the territorial claim disputes in Asia should adopt self-restraint to avoid escalating tensions.
