(VOVworld) – French newspapers ran editorials this week protesting China’s actions in the East Sea and its illegal deployment of oil rig Hai Yang 981 and additional oil rigs within Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Overseas Vietnamese march to protest China's illegal deployment of oil rig Hai Yang 981 at Capitole square, Toulouse, France.

An article in Le Figaro newspaper last Friday, titled “China flares up islands conflicts with Vietnam”, said China’s illegal deployment of oil rig Hai Yang 981 was the main reason for spontaneous anti-China demonstrations taking place in Vietnam.
In a June 20 article entitled “For oil, China is keen on deploying 4 oil rigs close to islands disputed with Vietnam”, “L’Humanité newspaper said China’s actions reveal its ambitions with regard to the territorial waters of neighbouring countries. The article quoted Hua Chunying, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, as saying that “everyone has the right to do anything in front of their home despite others’ concerns”. Two of China’s four oil rigs are deployed off Hong Kong and another is making its way toward a site where China drilled oil wells 5 years ago.
The front page of Le Monde newspaper ran an article Monday by Bruno Philip, a Southeast Asia correspondent who made a field trip to the site of China’s illegally placed oil rig Hai Yang 981. He described how Chinese vessels pursued and intimidated Vietnamese ships and how brave and smart the Vietnamese law enforcement vessels were to avoid clashes and possible casualties.
France’s FranceInfo radio station broadcast a series of reports by Phillippe Reltien, who personally witnessed China’s illegal actions at the site of the oil rig. The reports give clear evidence of the Chinese vessels’ provocative attacks on Vietnamese law enforcement ships.