China dismisses Vietnam protest over disputed islands
BEIJING - Beijing Tuesday called a protest by Vietnam over Chinese naval exercises in the disputed Paracel archipelago "groundless," reiterating its sovereignty over the islands.
"China maintains indisputable sovereignty over the Xisha islands... China and Vietnam have no dispute on this," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, referring to the islands' Chinese name.
"The routine naval exercises in the sea waters around the Xisha islands are normal activities within Chinese sovereignty. The opposition of Vietnam is groundless and unreasonable."
On Saturday, Vietnam protested the military exercises and reasserted its claim over the islands.
The Paracels -- a group of small islands and reefs in the South China Seas with potential oil and gas reserves and rich fishing grounds -- were controlled by French Indochina and have since been claimed by Vietnam, China and Taiwan.
China has administered them since 1974 when its troops overran a South Vietnamese outpost shortly before the end of the Vietnam war.
Agence France Presse - November 27, 2007.
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