China says it’s evacuated more than 3,000 of its citizens from Vietnam.
This, following a wave of deadly anti-China protests that hit Vietnam last week. (Via Euronews)
The riots stem from China’s recent decision to move a state-run oil rig into an area of the South China Sea that both Vietnam and China claim as their own. (Via Arirang)
Vietnam condemned the move as illegal, but China countered its actions in the contested waters were legitimate. So far, neither side appears to be backing down.
This video shows what appears to be a collision between a Chinese coast guard vessel and a Vietnamese ship. Both Beijing and Hanoi accuse the other of purposely ramming into each other’s vessels. (Via BBC)
Meanwhile, Vietnam had been allowing thousands of anti-China demonstrators to flood the streets, which was significant considering Vietnam usually suppresses protests. Foreign factories were trashed and looted, and at least two Chinese nationals died in the violence. (Via Radio Free Asia)
But Vietnam has begun cracking down on the riots. Al Jazeera reports hundreds of police poured into the streets Sunday and officers were reportedly stationed outside the homes of well-known dissidents to keep them from leaving.
And according to The Guardian, “the government has been sending daily text messages to all mobile phone users in Vietnam, urging them to exercise restraint and not engage in violent behaviour.”
China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported five ships were deployed to Vietnam to evacuate citizens. A chartered medical plane flew 16 critically injured Chinese nationals out of the country.
