The United States said today that it would investigate claims by Vietnamese officials that the movement of a Chinese oil rig encroached Vietnam’s territorial waters.
The Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, called for caution from both sides whilst the US looked into the matter.
The Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, called for caution from both sides whilst the US looked into the matter.
“We believe that it is critically important for each of the claimant countries to exercise care and restraint. The global economy is too fragile and regional stability is too important to be put at risk over short term economic advantage," he told Reuters.US involvement on the matter comes as a defence pact was renewed with the Philippines, in what US President Obama described as measures to build capacity for stability in the region.