China, Vietnam Vow To Cool S. China Sea Tensions

China and Vietnam pledged to resolve a row over the strategic South China Sea, state media said Sunday, in a bid to ease tensions that prompted accusations of Chinese bullying in the region.

The apparent olive branch between the testy neighbours came as the United States and Philippines readied for joint naval exercises in the face of Chinese actions and after the US called for Beijing to help lower the temperature.

Several recent incidents have put the security spotlight on the South China Sea, a strategic and potentially oil-rich area where China has sometimes overlapping disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Vietnam Welcomes International Help As Sea Dispute Escalates

By John Ruwitch

HANOI

(Reuters) - Vietnam said on Saturday live-fire naval drills scheduled for Monday were "routine" and said it would welcome efforts by the international community, including the United States, to help resolve disputes in the South China Sea.

Tensions in the region have risen in the past two weeks, with China and Vietnam trading accusations of violating sovereignty in the Sea, home to important shipping lanes and potentially large oil and gas reserves.

Vietnam Websites Hacked Amid China Row

More than 200 Vietnamese websites have been attacked and some defaced with Chinese flags, an Internet security firm said Friday as a maritime dispute raises tensions between the countries.

The ministries of agriculture and foreign affairs are among those targeted since the beginning of June, said Nguyen Minh Duc, director of the state-linked Bach Khoa Internetwork Security Centre (BKIS).

Hackers sometimes left "information in Chinese and Chinese flags," he told AFP.