The situation claimed more than 21 people and also led to the destruction of a huge foreign steel project.
China’s top General Fang Fenghui said China will continue oil rig drilling will continue in the contested waters off South China Sea, despite anti-Beijing riots in Vietnam.
Fenghui said Beijing could not afford to lose an inch of territory, blaming Hanoi for stirring up trouble in the region.
China claims majority of the oil- and gas-rich South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts of it from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
According to the experts, Beijing is simply interested in pushing its neighbors as much as possible to maximize the swath of sea it ultimately will control, rather than targeting an energy-rich zone.
The Planning and Investment Ministry blamed the clashes on "extremists" and warned that they could seriously affect the investment environment in Vietnam.
