China-Vietnam agree to set up hotline to resolve South China Sea dispute

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, rear center left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, rear center right, watch as military officers shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday, June 19, 2013. (Photo : AP Photo/Mark Ralston, Pool)

China and Vietnam agreed on Wednesday to set up a hotline to resolve fishing incidents in disputed South China Sea waters that have been a frequent source of tensions between the two ideological allies.

The two countries’ agriculture ministers signed the agreement in Beijing. No details were immediately available.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and its island groups, while Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries claim some areas. The islands sit amid some of the world’s busiest commercial sea lanes, along with rich fishing grounds and potential oil and gas deposits.

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, foreground, walks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Wednesday, June 19, 2013. (Photo : AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Last month, Vietnam accused China of damaging a fishing boat that it said was operating in Vietnamese waters, risking the lives of 15 crew members. China said the Vietnamese fishing boat was fishing illegally around islands in Chinese waters.

The countries also signed nine other agreements Wednesday during a ceremony witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, including one strengthening strategic cooperation and another on Chinese banks providing low-interest loans to Vietnamese companies.

Sang also held talks with Xi during his three-day visit aimed at boosting economic ties with China, Vietnam’s communist ally and biggest trading partner. It was their first meeting since Xi became president in March. <AP/NEWSis>