China says it, Vietnam agree talks needed over sea (AP)

HANOI, Vietnam – China and Vietnam have agreed to settle their dispute over the South China Sea through negotiations, Beijing said Sunday as protesters in Hanoi marched for the fourth straight week to voice their outrage at their country's more powerful neighbor.

China and Vietnam have traded diplomatic jabs over the past month after clashes in parts of the oil-rich sea claimed by both countries. But China's Foreign Ministry said the countries had agreed to deal with the dispute "through negotiations and peaceful, friendly consultations," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

It said the State Councilor Dai Bingguo, a veteran diplomat, met Vietnamese Vice Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son in Beijing on Saturday. Xinhua did not immediately give any other details.

In the Vietnamese capital, about 100 protesters marched down humid streets carrying signs that read: "China stop lying. China stop invading" and "Stop violating the territorial waters of Vietnam."

Protests are extremely rare in communist Vietnam and are typically quashed quickly by security forces. Still, Hanoi has allowed the demonstrations to go on for the past four Sundays amid tight security.

"The tensions in the East Sea may escalate, but if other countries join together, the Chinese may have to back down," said Phung Thi Tram, 70, referring to the area by its Vietnamese name. She yelled "Down With China!" as she marched.

Vietnam accuses Chinese vessels of hindering oil exploration surveys in an area 200 nautical miles off its central coast that it claims as its economic exclusive zone. China says Vietnam illegally entered its waters near the disputed Spratly islands and endangered Chinese fishermen.

The two sides have a long history of maritime scrapes, mainly involving areas around the believed resource-rich Spratly and Paracel islands, which are claimed all or in part by Vietnam, China and several other Asian countries. But the current spat has become much more hostile, with both sides announcing live-fire naval drills were recently held.

Relations also have soured recently between Beijing and the Philippines over the South China Sea. Manila accuses Chinese boats of making nine intrusions into Philippine-claimed waters since Feb. 25.

The United States has said that the sea, home to key shipping lanes, is in its national interest. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. would honor its mutual defense treaty with its ally, the Philippines. She also said Washington was willing to support a collaborative, diplomatic process by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has attempted to frame a code of conduct with China.

Beijing has said all territorial disputes should be settled one-on-one with its Asian neighbors and that the United States should not be involved.

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U.S., China broach South China Sea in Hawaii talks (Reuters)

HONOLULU (Reuters) – The United States and China kicked off a new round of consultations on the Asia Pacific region in Hawaii Saturday by broaching the flaring tensions in the South China Sea, a U.S. official said.

The first set of talks in the superpowers' Asia Pacific push -- agreed upon by President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao -- came at the end of a difficult week for the two countries over the growing antagonism in the South China Sea between China and its neighbors.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell emerged from the day-long talks acknowledging detailed discussions on the South China Sea and maritime security, but offered few details.

"We want tensions to subside," Campbell said. "We have a strong interest in the maintenance of peace and stability. And we are seeking a dialogue among all the key players."

China has shown increasing assertiveness in its claim to the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas. Vietnam has accused Chinese boats of harassing a Vietnamese oil exploration ship in the region.

Campbell said the U.S. delegation stressed China's military expansions have raised concerns, but hoped greater transparency and dialogue would help ease those concerns.

His counterpart in the talks, China's Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, did not make himself available to the media.

Earlier in the week, Cui told foreign reporters in Beijing China had not provoked any incidents in the South China Sea and said if Washington wanted to play a role it should urge restraint on other claimants.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton struck back by saying she was "concerned that recent incidents in the South China Sea could undermine peace and stability in the region."

She pledged support to the Philippines, which lays claims to parts of the South China Sea, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The two delegations also discussed North Korea and Campbell said he asked China to urge North Korea to deal responsibly and appropriately with South Korea without provocation.

"We believe that for North Korea to be effective in its diplomacy, it must responsibly first work and engage with South Korea and we are encouraging that process as we go forth," Campbell said.

Also discussed were issues relating to climate change, health, disaster preparedness, piracy, and poverty in the Asia Pacific region.

The next round of talks will take place in China, Campbell said.

(Editing by Mary Milliken and Todd Eastham)

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