Hanoi optimistic on islands' row

Hanoi optimistic on islands' row

HANOI (Reuters): Communist Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu said yesterday he believed Vietnam and China could reach a settlement over disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Phieu reiterated Vietnam's long-standing sovereignty claim over the Paracel and Spratly islands, but said Hanoi sought to negotiate a solution.

He gave no details on possible solutions. Phieu was speaking at his first formal news conference with foreign journalists since he assumed Vietnam's top leadership post late last year.

Phieu did not say if talks had taken place between Hanoi and Beijing over China's plan to develop the main island in the Paracel chain for tourism. Last month Vietnam rebuked China for the plan, saying it would not help relations.