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                    Maritime Tensions Dominate ASEAN Meeting

   by VOA News

   Maritime tensions dominated a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders Sunday
   in Burma, also known as Myanmar, with Vietnam calling on its neighbors
   for support in their territorial dispute with China.

   Tensions rose last week following China's controversial decision to
   move an oil drilling rig into waters also claimed by Hanoi.

   Vietnam's deputy foreign minister Pham Quang Vinh called for China to
   remove the rig.

   "For us, Vietnam, we consistently are persevering in our contacts with
   the Chinese side at all levels in order to resolve this issue and in
   order to request China to withdraw their ships and their oil rig,"
   said he.

   In its final statement Sunday, leaders from the Association of
   Southeast Asian Nations expressed concern and called for restraint by
   all parties involved in the maritime disputes.  ASEAN, which appeared
   unwilling to risk antagonizing China, also said it was satisfied with
   talks on the issue.

   The confrontation over the Paracel islands has raised fears of growing
   tensions between the China and Vietnam.

   Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, which contains key
   shipping lanes and is believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.

   Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei have competing claims to
   different areas of the sea, as does Taiwan.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/maritime-tensions-dominate-asean-meet
   ing/1912432.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/maritime-tensions-dominate-asean-meeting/1912432.html