China urges Vietnam to implement remedies for riots

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday said China hopes Vietnam will implement remedial measures for incidents leading to the death of Chinese workers in May.

In mid-May, a series of riots hit foreign companies in southern and central Vietnam, leaving five Chinese nationals dead, around 20 foreign factories burned down, and some 1,100 foreign companies affected.

Spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement that the ministry has noted remarks on the incidents by a Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday.

According to a report by Vietnam News Agency, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh responded to a question on the incidents on Monday.

"We regret that the incident happened to foreign-invested firms, including Chinese businesses and workers, in May 2014. We are also sorry that some Chinese workers lost their lives or were injured during the incident," stated Binh.

Vietnam will roll out humanitarian support for the Chinese workers affected, he said, adding that the Vietnam-China Friendship Association will send a working team to China to visit the families of several victims.

The Vietnamese side has implemented and will continue to carry out support policies and measures to assist the affected firms in overcoming difficulties and resuming normal operations, said the spokesperson.

Binh also revealed that Vietnam has been investigating the case and punishing violators, while carrying out necessary measures to ensure security of Chinese and other foreign workers and enterprises in Vietnam.

China acknowledges the Vietnamese side's actions and attitude, said Hong.

Le Hong Anh, a Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, will visit China from Tuesday to Wednesday as the special envoy of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.