China optimistic on solving sea dispute

China optimistic on solving sea dispute

BEIJING (AFP): Beijing's foreign ministry yesterday voiced
optimism that China would be able to resolve a maritime dispute
with Vietnam, and announced plans for a vice-ministerial meeting
on the issue next week.

Expert-level negotiators from China and Vietnam completed two
days of talks in Beijing Thursday aimed at resolving a dispute
over China's deployment of an exploratory oil rig in a disputed
sea area on March 7.

"The meeting was held in a very good atmosphere and the two
sides had friendly and frank discussions," a ministry official
said.

"We think this issue should be handled by the two countries
concerned and we are quite confident that we will be able to
solve it."

The Chinese official, who requested anonymity, said the China-
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meeting scheduled
for April 17 to April 19 in eastern China, would provide a
further opportunity for at least vice-minister level discussions
of the issue.

"The Vietnamese vice foreign minister (Vu Khoan) will attend
the ASEAN meeting next week so I think that Chinese Vice Foreign
Minister Tang Jaixuan should be able to talk with him (on this
issue)," the official said.

"As for whether this issue will be raised at the senior
officials meeting, this is not a forum to discuss bilateral
issues, but whatever questions are raised at the meeting, the
Chinese side will be happy to express their position."

The Kantan III rig -- which was withdrawn shortly before the
talks -- was drilling in a disputed zone just south of the Gulf
of Tonkin, which is almost halfway between the central-Vietnamese
coast and the Chinese island of Hainan.

The zone is believed to be rich in natural gas.

China and Vietnam have twice run into territorial disputes in
the South China Sea, first in 1974 over the Paracel islands and
again in 1988 over the Spratly Islands.

Further trouble brewed when China signed an exploration
agreement with the U.S.-based Crestone Energy Corp in 1992 to
drill for oil near the Spratlys.

The oil-rich Spratly Islands are claimed wholly or in part by
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam which are all
ASEAN members.