Hanoi - Vietnamese protestors staged a rare political rally in front of the Chinese embassy here Sunday morning, denouncing Beijing's recent assertions of sovereignty over the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands, police said. The protests lasted about an hour in Lenin Park, across the street from China's imposing embassy here. News reports said several hundred protestors had waved flags and shouted "Down with China!" and "Long live Vietnam!"
Protests over international issues are almost unheard of in Vietnam, where police sharply restrict public demonstrations. Some demonstrations by farmers and homeowners over land-rights issues are tolerated.
China and Vietnam have disputed ownership over the Spratlys and Paracels, two mainly uninhabited island chains in the South China Sea, for decades. The seabed near the islands is believed to have substantial petroleum reserves.
Last month, China established an official administrative unit called Sansha, based on Hainan island, which it claims governs the Spratlys and Paracels. The Vietnamese government officially protested the Chinese move last week.
Vietnam's state-controlled press carried accounts last week tracing Vietnam's claims to the islands to 17th and 18th-century documents written by European explorers and traders. The Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia also claim part or all of the archipelagos.
The dispute has led to occasional clashes. In July, a Vietnamese fisherman was reportedly killed when a Chinese navy vessel fired on his fishing boat near the Spratlys, sinking it.
