Washington and Beijing traded tit-for-tat barbs over the disputed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-ready-to-work-with-asean-for-south-china-sea-peace-259624">South China Sea</a> at a regional summit in Bangkok on Monday, with the US accusing the fellow superpower of intimidating claimants in the resource-rich waterway.

China hit back with a veiled criticism of the US, accusing it of ratcheting up tensions in the waters, a key global shipping route.

Beijing lays claim to huge swathes of the sea where it is accused of building military <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-warship-sails-in-disputed-south-china-sea-amid-trade-tensions-246250">installations and fake islands</a>, and ramming fishing vessels.

The US has long accused it of bullying fellow claimants - Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei - calling for freedom of navigation in the area.

US national security adviser Robert O'Brien doubled down on America's rhetoric against China on Monday, speaking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.&nbsp;

"Beijing has used intimidation to try and stop ASEAN nations from exploiting their offshore resources," he said, addressing an ASEAN meeting Monday.

"Big countries should not bully other countries," he later told reporters.

China's deputy foreign minister Le Yucheng meanwhile accused some outside countries of "meddling" in the sea, answering a question on US comments about the waters.

"Some non-regional countries cannot live with calm waters in the South China Sea and have come all this way to make waves," he said in an apparent jab at the US.

In return, O'Brien later said "we don't think we're meddlers".

"We always come when we're invited, unlike other countries," he said after Le's comments emerged.

Tensions have flared in the flashpoint waterway in recent weeks after China deployed a survey ship to waters claimed by Hanoi.

Though the communist neighbours have long feuded over the sea, Hanoi fought back with fiery language after the most recent incursion.

The ship left after a few weeks, but Vietnam could seek tougher language in the final ASEAN communique expected to be delivered later on Monday.

Vietnam is pushing for mention of "specific incidents" in the document, "while the other sides rather want a general statement", Philippines' finance secretary Sonny Dominguez told reporters earlier.

China's premier Li Keqiang said Sunday Beijing was committed to progress on a Code of Conduct agreement, which it has repeatedly delayed since talks first started in 2002 while carrying out its expansionist strategy in the sea.&nbsp;

Washington and Beijing traded tit-for-tat barbs over the disputed South China Sea at a regional summit in Bangkok on Monday, with the US accusing the fellow superpower of intimidating claimants in the resource-rich waterway.

Washington and Beijing traded tit-for-tat barbs over the disputed South China Sea at a regional summit in Bangkok on Monday, with the US accusing the fellow superpower of intimidating claimants in the resource-rich waterway. China hit back with a veiled criticism of the US, accusing it of ratcheting up tensions in the waters, a key global shipping route. Beijing lays claim to huge swathes of the sea where it is accused of building military installations and fake islands, and ramming fishing vessels. The US has long accused it of bullying fellow claimants - Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei - calling for freedom of navigation in the area. US national security adviser Robert O'Brien doubled down on America's rhetoric against China on Monday, speaking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. "Beijing has used intimidation to try and stop ASEAN nations from exploiting their offshore resources," he said, addressing an ASEAN meeting Monday. "Big countries should not bully other countries," he later told reporters. China's deputy foreign minister Le Yucheng meanwhile accused some outside countries of "meddling" in the sea, answering a question on US comments about the waters. "Some non-regional countries cannot live with calm waters in the South China Sea and have come all this way to make waves," he said in an apparent jab at the US. In return, O'Brien later said "we don't think we're meddlers". "We always come when we're invited, unlike other countries," he said after Le's comments emerged. Tensions have flared in the flashpoint waterway in recent weeks after China deployed a survey ship to waters claimed by Hanoi. Though the communist neighbours have long feuded over the sea, Hanoi fought back with fiery language after the most recent incursion. The ship left after a few weeks, but Vietnam could seek tougher language in the final ASEAN communique expected to be delivered later on Monday. Vietnam is pushing for mention of "specific incidents" in the document, "while the other sides rather want a general statement", Philippines' finance secretary Sonny Dominguez told reporters earlier. China's premier Li Keqiang said Sunday Beijing was committed to progress on a Code of Conduct agreement, which it has repeatedly delayed since talks first started in 2002 while carrying out its expansionist strategy in the sea.

US, China face-off over South China Sea at ASEAN summit

Vietnam said Saturday that it "strongly condemns" <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/migrant-lorry-victims-believed-to-be-vietnamese-uk-police-259383">human trafficking</a>, after British police confirmed 39 people found dead in a truck last week are believed to be Vietnamese.&nbsp;

Most of the victims are thought to come from central Vietnam, where easy-to-find brokers help to arrange trips to Europe -- often via Russia -- for migrants hoping to earn money overseas.&nbsp;

The extreme risks of the journeys were laid bare after eight women and 31 men were found dead in a refrigerated container in Essex, east of London, on October 23.&nbsp;

Two people were arrested in central Ha Tinh province for human trafficking on Friday, as British police sought more suspects.&nbsp;

Vietnam said Saturday it "strongly condemns human trafficking and considers it a serious crime," according to a statement from foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang.

She called the incident a "serious humanitarian tragedy", urging help to tackle the scourge of trafficking.

"Vietnam calls upon countries in the region and around the world to step up cooperation in combating human trafficking in order to prevent the recurrence of such tragedy," she added.

Officials are now working to identify the victims after DNA samples were collected from families in Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces in central Vietnam. &nbsp;

"I think my son could be among the 39 dead," Nguyen Dinh Gia told AFP Saturday from Ha Tinh province where he has been anxiously waiting for news about his child Nguyen Dinh Luong.&nbsp;

The grim case has shocked Britain and plunged families in remote Vietnamese villages into grief.&nbsp;

It has also cast a light on sophisticated transnational trafficking networks helping to smuggle migrants into Britain.

The 25-year-old Northern Irish driver of the refrigerated lorry has been charged with manslaughter, money laundering and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

In Dublin, another Northern Irishman appeared at Ireland's High Court for the start of extradition proceedings to bring him to Britain in connection with the incident.&nbsp;

British police have also said they want to speak to Ronan and Christopher Hughes, two brothers in the haulage business from Northern Ireland.

Three other people have been arrested and released on police bail.

Vietnam said Saturday that it "strongly condemns" human trafficking, after British police confirmed 39 people found dead in a truck last week are believed to be Vietnamese.

Vietnam said Saturday that it "strongly condemns" human trafficking, after British police confirmed 39 people found dead in a truck last week are believed to be Vietnamese. Most of the victims are thought to come from central Vietnam, where easy-to-find brokers help to arrange trips to Europe -- often via Russia -- for migrants hoping to earn money overseas. The extreme risks of the journeys were laid bare after eight women and 31 men were found dead in a refrigerated container in Essex, east of London, on October 23. Two people were arrested in central Ha Tinh province for human trafficking on Friday, as British police sought more suspects. Vietnam said Saturday it "strongly condemns human trafficking and considers it a serious crime," according to a statement from foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang. She called the incident a "serious humanitarian tragedy", urging help to tackle the scourge of trafficking. "Vietnam calls upon countries in the region and around the world to step up cooperation in combating human trafficking in order to prevent the recurrence of such tragedy," she added. Officials are now working to identify the victims after DNA samples were collected from families in Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces in central Vietnam. "I think my son could be among the 39 dead," Nguyen Dinh Gia told AFP Saturday from Ha Tinh province where he has been anxiously waiting for news about his child Nguyen Dinh Luong. The grim case has shocked Britain and plunged families in remote Vietnamese villages into grief. It has also cast a light on sophisticated transnational trafficking networks helping to smuggle migrants into Britain. The 25-year-old Northern Irish driver of the refrigerated lorry has been charged with manslaughter, money laundering and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. In Dublin, another Northern Irishman appeared at Ireland's High Court for the start of extradition proceedings to bring him to Britain in connection with the incident. British police have also said they want to speak to Ronan and Christopher Hughes, two brothers in the haulage business from Northern Ireland. Three other people have been arrested and released on police bail.

Vietnam 'strongly condemns' human trafficking after UK truck tragedy

Britain has sent dossiers to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-39-uk-truck-victims-likely-from-vietnam-priest-258278">Vietnam</a>, seeking its assistance in identifying four of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/39-bodies-found-near-london-in-truck-container-uk-police-257701">39 people found dead</a> in a truck container outside London last week, the government of the southeast Asian nation said on Monday.

Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, is set to appear in court charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences, including conspiracy to traffic people, after the bodies were found last week in Grays, about 32 km (20 miles) east of London.

British police have said very few of the victims were carrying official identification and that they hope to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photographs from friends and relatives.

Vietnam`s government website quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son as saying the Ministry of Public Security had received files for four people from Britain, seeking "verification coordination".

Son told reporters, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is developing dossiers of possible victims, but until now there have been no grounds to confirm Vietnamese nationals are among the victims."

Police had initially said the dead were believed to be Chinese, but it later emerged that many were from Vietnam, where communities have been plunged into despair in the belief their missing loved ones are dead.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China`s embassy in Vietnam was in close contact with the Vietnamese government about the case, but did not elaborate.

China is also asking Britain to provide more information so as to ascertain the victims` identities, he added.

In Britain, police said a man was arrested in Dublin on Saturday. 
"A man arrested by the Garda at Dublin port on Saturday, 26 October, is a person of interest in our murder investigation," Essex Police said.

Three people arrested in connection with the investigation had been released on bail, British police said on Sunday. All three had been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people.

About 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in Britain between 2009 and 2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail salons, the British government said last year.

The suspected victims in the most recent incident hail from Vietnam`s northern rice-growing areas of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, two of the communist-ruled nation`s poorest provinces.

Nghe An was identified as home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a US-based anti-trafficking organisation.

The other province, Ha Tinh, was ravaged by one of Vietnam`s worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan`s Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating fishing and tourism there.

Britain has sent dossiers to Vietnam, seeking its assistance in identifying four of the 39 people found dead in a truck container outside London last week, the government of the southeast Asian nation said on Monday.

Britain has sent dossiers to Vietnam, seeking its assistance in identifying four of the 39 people found dead in a truck container outside London last week, the government of the southeast Asian nation said on Monday. Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, is set to appear in court charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences, including conspiracy to traffic people, after the bodies were found last week in Grays, about 32 km (20 miles) east of London. British police have said very few of the victims were carrying official identification and that they hope to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photographs from friends and relatives. Vietnam`s government website quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son as saying the Ministry of Public Security had received files for four people from Britain, seeking "verification coordination". Son told reporters, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is developing dossiers of possible victims, but until now there have been no grounds to confirm Vietnamese nationals are among the victims." Police had initially said the dead were believed to be Chinese, but it later emerged that many were from Vietnam, where communities have been plunged into despair in the belief their missing loved ones are dead. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China`s embassy in Vietnam was in close contact with the Vietnamese government about the case, but did not elaborate. China is also asking Britain to provide more information so as to ascertain the victims` identities, he added. In Britain, police said a man was arrested in Dublin on Saturday. "A man arrested by the Garda at Dublin port on Saturday, 26 October, is a person of interest in our murder investigation," Essex Police said. Three people arrested in connection with the investigation had been released on bail, British police said on Sunday. All three had been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. About 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in Britain between 2009 and 2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail salons, the British government said last year. The suspected victims in the most recent incident hail from Vietnam`s northern rice-growing areas of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, two of the communist-ruled nation`s poorest provinces. Nghe An was identified as home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a US-based anti-trafficking organisation. The other province, Ha Tinh, was ravaged by one of Vietnam`s worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan`s Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating fishing and tourism there.

Vietnam says UK seeks help to identify four truck victims

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/39-bodies-found-near-london-in-truck-container-uk-police-257701">39 people found dead</a> in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km&nbsp;east of central London.

British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people.

Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community.

Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally.

Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km&nbsp;south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members.

"The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community."

On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh.

"We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said.

Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones.

The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives.

Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families.

Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-chinas-embassy-urges-uk-police-to-find-out-the-truth-about-39-bodies-discovered-in-truck-258039">initial hearing</a>, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin.

Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/essex39-bodies-found-in-a-tanker-police-interrogate-25-year-old-driver-257991/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
'Beautiful day'

&nbsp;

In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed.

"She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh.

"We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group".

In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going.

"Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination.

Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18.

"Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted.

Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job.

A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom.

"I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything".

Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up.

"They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters.

"I haven't heard anything from my son". 
 
Parents 'can't breathe'

How the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-39-uk-truck-victims-likely-from-vietnam-priest-258278">victims came to be in the truck</a> is not yet known.

Some 70 per cent&nbsp;of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year.

"Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said.

British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification.

"If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said.

Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation.

Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media.

The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries.

Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain.

"That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country. The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km east of central London. British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people. Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally. Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members. "The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community." On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh. "We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said. Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones. The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives. Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families. Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an initial hearing, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin. Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver 'Beautiful day' In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed. "She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh. "We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group". In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going. "Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination. Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18. "Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted. Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job. A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom. "I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything". Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up. "They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters. "I haven't heard anything from my son". Parents 'can't breathe' How the victims came to be in the truck is not yet known. Some 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year. "Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said. British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification. "If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said. Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation. Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media. The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries. Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Rural Vietnamese mourn loved ones feared dead in back of British truck

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a truck near London said they <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-uk-police-arrest-man-and-woman-for-human-trafficking-over-truck-deaths-258160">had arrested three more suspects</a> on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking amid signs that some of the dead may be&nbsp;Vietnamese.

As forensic experts began the process of identifying the victims, the&nbsp;Vietnamese embassy in London said families from the southeast Asian country had got in touch about missing relatives. There were growing concerns at least 10 of the victims could have been from&nbsp;Vietnam.

Hoa Nghiem from Human Rights Space, a civic network based in&nbsp;Vietnam, said that Pham Thi Tra My, 26, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain.

"I’m sorry, mum and dad. My path abroad was not a success. I love you both so much. I can’t breathe. I'm from Nghen Town, Can Loc District, Ha Tinh,&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;... I am sorry, Mom," the message said, according to Hoa who told Reuters it had come from Tra My's family.

She said Tra My had gone to China and was planning to reach England via France and that the organisation was getting more alerts about possible&nbsp;Vietnamese victims in the refrigerated trunk, which was found in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police have said they believe the dead were Chinese but Beijing said the nationalities had not yet been confirmed. Chinese and&nbsp;Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, their respective embassies said.

"We owe it to those who have died to get this investigation right and speculation is not helpful," Essex Police's Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills told reporters. "It may in fact hinder our investigation and its progress."

She said they would not give any more details about the identities or nationalities of the victims until the formal identification process was complete.

Her officers were still questioning the 25-year-old truck driver on suspicion of murder following the discovery of the bodies in the back of his truck.

He has not been formally identified but a source familiar with the investigation named him as Mo Robinson from the Portadown area of Northern Ireland.

On Friday, police also arrested a man and woman, both aged 38, in Warrington, northwest England, and a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland at London's Stansted Airport. They are suspected of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter.

The victims - 31 men and eight women - are being moved to a hospital mortuary from a secure location at docks near the industrial estate in Grays about 20 miles (30 km) east of London where the bodies were found.

Post-mortem examinations were beginning to determine how exactly they died while the lengthy process of identifying the deceased was underway.

VietHome, an organisation for the&nbsp;Vietnamese community in Britain, said it had received news from 10 families that their relatives were missing.

For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover. 
 
Watch: Essex Lorry death case: 3 more suspects in UK police custody

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/essex-lorry-death-case-3-more-suspects-in-uk-police-custody-258215/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Britain 'has not fulfilled responsibility'

"We hope that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-uk-points-to-belgium-258064">British side</a> can as soon as possible confirm and verify the identities of the victims, ascertain what happened and severely punish criminals involved in the case," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.

China's Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in a Friday editorial that Britain should bear some responsibility for the deaths.

"It is clear that Britain and relevant European countries have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect these people from such a death," the widely read tabloid said.

It added that Britain appeared not to have learned its lesson from the Dover incident two decades ago.

The police investigation is focussed on the movement of the trailer prior to its arrival at Purfleet docks near Grays little more than an hour before the bodies were found, and on who was behind the suspected human trafficking.

Irish company Global Trailer Rentals said it owned the trailer and had rented it out on October&nbsp;15. The firm said it was unaware of what it was to be used for.

The refrigeration unit had travelled to Britain from Zeebrugge in Belgium and the town's chairman, Dirk de Fauw, said he believed the victims died in the trailer before it arrived in the Belgian port.

The Times newspaper reported that GPS data showed the container had arrived at the Belgian port at 2.49 p.m. local time on Tuesday before later making the 10-hour sea crossing to Britain.

Police said the cab unit of the truck was driven over from Dublin on Sunday, crossing the Irish Sea by ship and entering Britain in North Wales. It picked up the trailer in Purfleet shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

Figures last year from the UK's National Crime Agency, which targets serious and organised crime, showed&nbsp;Vietnamese nationals were the third most commonly reported victims of modern slavery or trafficking in Britain, although it did not have statistics about those entering the country illegally.

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a truck near London said they had arrested three more suspects on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking amid signs that some of the dead may be Vietnamese.

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a truck near London said they had arrested three more suspects on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking amid signs that some of the dead may be Vietnamese. As forensic experts began the process of identifying the victims, the Vietnamese embassy in London said families from the southeast Asian country had got in touch about missing relatives. There were growing concerns at least 10 of the victims could have been from Vietnam. Hoa Nghiem from Human Rights Space, a civic network based in Vietnam, said that Pham Thi Tra My, 26, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "I’m sorry, mum and dad. My path abroad was not a success. I love you both so much. I can’t breathe. I'm from Nghen Town, Can Loc District, Ha Tinh, Vietnam ... I am sorry, Mom," the message said, according to Hoa who told Reuters it had come from Tra My's family. She said Tra My had gone to China and was planning to reach England via France and that the organisation was getting more alerts about possible Vietnamese victims in the refrigerated trunk, which was found in the early hours of Wednesday. Police have said they believe the dead were Chinese but Beijing said the nationalities had not yet been confirmed. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, their respective embassies said. "We owe it to those who have died to get this investigation right and speculation is not helpful," Essex Police's Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills told reporters. "It may in fact hinder our investigation and its progress." She said they would not give any more details about the identities or nationalities of the victims until the formal identification process was complete. Her officers were still questioning the 25-year-old truck driver on suspicion of murder following the discovery of the bodies in the back of his truck. He has not been formally identified but a source familiar with the investigation named him as Mo Robinson from the Portadown area of Northern Ireland. On Friday, police also arrested a man and woman, both aged 38, in Warrington, northwest England, and a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland at London's Stansted Airport. They are suspected of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter. The victims - 31 men and eight women - are being moved to a hospital mortuary from a secure location at docks near the industrial estate in Grays about 20 miles (30 km) east of London where the bodies were found. Post-mortem examinations were beginning to determine how exactly they died while the lengthy process of identifying the deceased was underway. VietHome, an organisation for the Vietnamese community in Britain, said it had received news from 10 families that their relatives were missing. For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover. Watch: Essex Lorry death case: 3 more suspects in UK police custody Britain 'has not fulfilled responsibility' "We hope that the British side can as soon as possible confirm and verify the identities of the victims, ascertain what happened and severely punish criminals involved in the case," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing. China's Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in a Friday editorial that Britain should bear some responsibility for the deaths. "It is clear that Britain and relevant European countries have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect these people from such a death," the widely read tabloid said. It added that Britain appeared not to have learned its lesson from the Dover incident two decades ago. The police investigation is focussed on the movement of the trailer prior to its arrival at Purfleet docks near Grays little more than an hour before the bodies were found, and on who was behind the suspected human trafficking. Irish company Global Trailer Rentals said it owned the trailer and had rented it out on October 15. The firm said it was unaware of what it was to be used for. The refrigeration unit had travelled to Britain from Zeebrugge in Belgium and the town's chairman, Dirk de Fauw, said he believed the victims died in the trailer before it arrived in the Belgian port. The Times newspaper reported that GPS data showed the container had arrived at the Belgian port at 2.49 p.m. local time on Tuesday before later making the 10-hour sea crossing to Britain. Police said the cab unit of the truck was driven over from Dublin on Sunday, crossing the Irish Sea by ship and entering Britain in North Wales. It picked up the trailer in Purfleet shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Figures last year from the UK's National Crime Agency, which targets serious and organised crime, showed Vietnamese nationals were the third most commonly reported victims of modern slavery or trafficking in Britain, although it did not have statistics about those entering the country illegally.

Vietnamese may be among who were found dead in lorry, UK police make three more arrests

British police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a refrigerated truck said Saturday they had charged a driver arrested at the scene with manslaughter and people trafficking.

British police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a refrigerated truck said Saturday they had charged a driver arrested at the scene with manslaughter and people trafficking. Maurice Robinson, 25, from Northern Ireland, faces "39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering", police said. Robinson was arrested shortly after the bodies were discovered in the truck at Purfleet on the River Thames estuary, after arriving on a ferry from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge early on Wednesday. He will appear in court on Monday, Essex police said. Three other people have been arrested in Britain in connection with the investigation, on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter. They remain in custody. They include a 38-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman from Warrington in northwest England, reportedly a couple. She is said to be the legal owner of the truck. A 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland is also being held. On Saturday, Irish police announced another arrest at Dublin port, of a man in his early 20s from Northern Ireland.

Driver charged over deaths of 39 people in UK lorry, say police

The majority of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London were likely from Vietnam, a community leader from the rural, rice-growing community where many of the victims are believed to have come from told on Saturday.

The majority of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London were likely from Vietnam, a community leader from the rural, rice-growing community where many of the victims are believed to have come from told on Saturday. The discovery of the bodies - 38 adults and one teenager - was made on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32km (20 miles) east of central London. Police have said they believe the dead were Chinese but Beijing said the nationalities had not yet been confirmed. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, their respective embassies have said. Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300km (180 miles) south of Hanoi, said he was liaising with family members of the victims. "The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "I'm still collecting contact details for all the victim's families, and will hold a ceremony to pray for them tonight." "This is a catastrophe for our community." Nam said families told him they knew relatives were travelling to the UK at the time and had been unable to contact their loved ones. Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it had instructed its London embassy to assist British police with the identification of victims. The ministry did not respond to a request for further comment regarding the nationalities of the dead. Essex Police declined to elaborate as to how they first identified the dead as Chinese. 'Beautiful day' In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her worried mother has been unable to rise from her bed. "She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh. "We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group". In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going. "Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination. Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on Oct. 18. "Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted. Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation. Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Nam said, where in the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media. The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries and sparking widespread protests. Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Majority of 39 UK truck victims likely from Vietnam: Priest

Vietnam has pulled DreamWorks` animated film 'Abominable' from cinemas over a scene featuring a map which shows China`s unilaterally declared "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea, state media reported on Monday. 
 
The U-shaped line is a feature used on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims over vast expanses of the resource-rich South China Sea, including large swathes of what Vietnam regards as its continental shelf, where it has awarded oil concessions. 
 
Last week, sports network ESPN faced criticism of its coverage of a row between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and China after using a map that featured the line. 
 
China and Vietnam have been locked in a standoff since China dispatched a vessel to conduct an energy survey in waters controlled by Vietnam in early July. 
 
"We will revoke (the film`s licence)," Ta Quang Dong, deputy minister of culture, sports and tourism, was quoted as saying by the Thanh Nien newspaper. 
 
The ministry is in charge of licensing and censoring foreign films. 
 
'Abominable', about a Chinese girl who discovers a yeti living on her roof, was jointly produced by Shanghai-based Pearl Studio and Comcast-owned DreamWorks Animation and was first shown in Vietnamese cinemas on October&nbsp;4. 
 
The film, which was being marketed in Vietnam as 'Everest: The Little Yeti'&nbsp;was removed from cinemas on Sunday after images of the scene with the offending map were shared widely on social media. 
 
A spokeswoman for CJ CGV Vietnam, Vietnam`s largest cinema chain and a unit of South Korea`s CJ CGV, declined to comment. 
A receptionist at the state-run National Cinema Center in Hanoi said the culture ministry had issued an order requiring all cinemas to stop showing the film because of the map scene. 
 
Calls to Nguyen Thu Ha, the head of the culture ministry`s cinema department, went unanswered on Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At the National Cinema Center in Hanoi, workers could be seen taking down posters of the film late on Monday.&nbsp;In August, police broke up a brief protest outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi over the survey vessel. 
 
Vietnam has repeatedly accused the vessel and its escorts of violating its sovereignty and has demanded that China remove its ships from the area.

Vietnam has pulled DreamWorks` animated film 'Abominable' from cinemas over a scene featuring a map which shows China`s unilaterally declared "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea, state media reported on Monday.

Vietnam has pulled DreamWorks` animated film 'Abominable' from cinemas over a scene featuring a map which shows China`s unilaterally declared "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea, state media reported on Monday. The U-shaped line is a feature used on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims over vast expanses of the resource-rich South China Sea, including large swathes of what Vietnam regards as its continental shelf, where it has awarded oil concessions. Last week, sports network ESPN faced criticism of its coverage of a row between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and China after using a map that featured the line. China and Vietnam have been locked in a standoff since China dispatched a vessel to conduct an energy survey in waters controlled by Vietnam in early July. "We will revoke (the film`s licence)," Ta Quang Dong, deputy minister of culture, sports and tourism, was quoted as saying by the Thanh Nien newspaper. The ministry is in charge of licensing and censoring foreign films. 'Abominable', about a Chinese girl who discovers a yeti living on her roof, was jointly produced by Shanghai-based Pearl Studio and Comcast-owned DreamWorks Animation and was first shown in Vietnamese cinemas on October 4. The film, which was being marketed in Vietnam as 'Everest: The Little Yeti' was removed from cinemas on Sunday after images of the scene with the offending map were shared widely on social media. A spokeswoman for CJ CGV Vietnam, Vietnam`s largest cinema chain and a unit of South Korea`s CJ CGV, declined to comment. A receptionist at the state-run National Cinema Center in Hanoi said the culture ministry had issued an order requiring all cinemas to stop showing the film because of the map scene. Calls to Nguyen Thu Ha, the head of the culture ministry`s cinema department, went unanswered on Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At the National Cinema Center in Hanoi, workers could be seen taking down posters of the film late on Monday. In August, police broke up a brief protest outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi over the survey vessel. Vietnam has repeatedly accused the vessel and its escorts of violating its sovereignty and has demanded that China remove its ships from the area.

Vietnam pulls DreamWorks' 'Abominable' film over South China Sea map

&nbsp;North Korea said on Thursday it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States.

The launch on Wednesday was the most provocative by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-launches-missiles-ahead-of-nuclear-talks-253157">North Korea</a> since it resumed dialogue with the United States in 2018 and a reminder by Pyongyang of the weapons capability it has been aggressively developing, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, analysts said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "sent warm congratulations" to the defence scientists who conducted the test, state news agency KCNA said, indicating he did not attend the launch as he has at previous tests of new weapons systems.

The new type of SLBM, called Pukguksong-3, was "fired in vertical mode" in the waters of the eastern city of Wonsan, KCNA said, confirming an assessment by South Korea's military on Wednesday that the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory.

"The successful new-type SLBM test-firing comes to be of great significance as it ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces' threat to the DPRK and further bolstering its military muscle for self-defence," KCNA said.

DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The test "had no adverse impact on the security of neighbouring countries," KCNA said but gave no other details about the launch.

Photos released in the North's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, whose front two pages featured the test, showed a black-and-white painted missile clearing the surface of the water, then the rocket engine igniting to propel it into the sky.

A State Department spokeswoman called on Pyongyang to "refrain from provocations" and to remain committed to nuclear negotiations.

South Korea expressed strong concern and the Japanese condemned&nbsp;the launch, saying it was a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

North Korea rejects U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban Pyongyang from using ballistic missile technology, saying they are an infringement of its right to self-defence.

Talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes have been stalled since a second summit between Kim and US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-slams-impeachment-probe-as-hoax-as-democrats-seek-white-house-documents-253356">Donald Trump</a> in Vietnam in February broke down in disagreement over nuclear disarmament.

Watch Video: North Korea says successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile

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'Nuclear-Capable'

The Pukguksong-3 appeared to be a new design that has enhanced range and stability compared with a version tested in 2016, three analysts said.

It was probably launched from a test platform and not a submarine, which would be the final stage of testing, said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.

State news agency KCNA released photos and a report in July of leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting a large, newly built submarine, but an unnamed South Korean military source said on Thursday that the submarine appears to be still incomplete, Yonhap news agency reported.

Leader Kim Jong Un's absence at the test is "extremely unusual," Kyungnam University's Kim said, probably meant to contain the political fallout that could result in the upcoming talks falling apart before they even start.

On Wednesday, South Korea's military said the missile flew 450 km (280 miles) and reached an altitude of 910 km (565 miles). It was likely a Pukguksong-class weapon, as the North's earlier submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) under development were known.

South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said the Pukguksong, or Pole Star in Korean, would have had a range of about 1,300 km (910 miles) on a standard trajectory.

North Korea had been developing SLBM technology before it suspended long-range missile and nuclear tests and began talks with the United States that led to the first summit between Kim and Trump in Singapore on June 2018.

The latest version of the Pukguksong may be the longest-range North Korean missile that uses solid fuel and the first nuclear-capable missile to be tested since November 2017, Ankit Panda of the US-based Federation of American Scientists said.

North Korea has been developing rocket engines that burn solid fuel, which has advantages in military use compared with liquid fuel because it is stable and versatile, allowing it to be stored in missiles until they are ready for launch.

North Korea said on Thursday it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States.

North Korea said on Thursday it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States. The launch on Wednesday was the most provocative by North Korea since it resumed dialogue with the United States in 2018 and a reminder by Pyongyang of the weapons capability it has been aggressively developing, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, analysts said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "sent warm congratulations" to the defence scientists who conducted the test, state news agency KCNA said, indicating he did not attend the launch as he has at previous tests of new weapons systems. The new type of SLBM, called Pukguksong-3, was "fired in vertical mode" in the waters of the eastern city of Wonsan, KCNA said, confirming an assessment by South Korea's military on Wednesday that the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory. "The successful new-type SLBM test-firing comes to be of great significance as it ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces' threat to the DPRK and further bolstering its military muscle for self-defence," KCNA said. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The test "had no adverse impact on the security of neighbouring countries," KCNA said but gave no other details about the launch. Photos released in the North's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, whose front two pages featured the test, showed a black-and-white painted missile clearing the surface of the water, then the rocket engine igniting to propel it into the sky. A State Department spokeswoman called on Pyongyang to "refrain from provocations" and to remain committed to nuclear negotiations. South Korea expressed strong concern and the Japanese condemned the launch, saying it was a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. North Korea rejects U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban Pyongyang from using ballistic missile technology, saying they are an infringement of its right to self-defence. Talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes have been stalled since a second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February broke down in disagreement over nuclear disarmament. Watch Video: North Korea says successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile × 'Nuclear-Capable' The Pukguksong-3 appeared to be a new design that has enhanced range and stability compared with a version tested in 2016, three analysts said. It was probably launched from a test platform and not a submarine, which would be the final stage of testing, said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. State news agency KCNA released photos and a report in July of leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting a large, newly built submarine, but an unnamed South Korean military source said on Thursday that the submarine appears to be still incomplete, Yonhap news agency reported. Leader Kim Jong Un's absence at the test is "extremely unusual," Kyungnam University's Kim said, probably meant to contain the political fallout that could result in the upcoming talks falling apart before they even start. On Wednesday, South Korea's military said the missile flew 450 km (280 miles) and reached an altitude of 910 km (565 miles). It was likely a Pukguksong-class weapon, as the North's earlier submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) under development were known. South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said the Pukguksong, or Pole Star in Korean, would have had a range of about 1,300 km (910 miles) on a standard trajectory. North Korea had been developing SLBM technology before it suspended long-range missile and nuclear tests and began talks with the United States that led to the first summit between Kim and Trump in Singapore on June 2018. The latest version of the Pukguksong may be the longest-range North Korean missile that uses solid fuel and the first nuclear-capable missile to be tested since November 2017, Ankit Panda of the US-based Federation of American Scientists said. North Korea has been developing rocket engines that burn solid fuel, which has advantages in military use compared with liquid fuel because it is stable and versatile, allowing it to be stored in missiles until they are ready for launch.

Successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile: North Korea

Malaysia will start a nationwide demonstration of 5G projects next month, a minister said on Tuesday, indicating it was on track to become one of the first Asian countries to launch the technology.

The government has said it wants to start rolling out the ultra-fast mobile internet service early next year and, unlike Vietnam and some developed nations, is not averse to letting its telecoms companies work with China's Huawei.

Huawei, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker, was put on a US blacklist in May after Washington said its equipment could be used for spying, a charge the company denies.

That put pressure on many other countries to follow suit. But Malaysia, a nation of 32 million people, has said it is not concerned about the spying allegations, focusing instead on the relative affordability of Huawei products.

"It is hoped that Malaysia's early commitment to 5G, to rapidly deploying 5G testbeds and nationwide demonstration projects, will position the country as one of the leaders of 5G adoption in the world," Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysia's minister of communications and multimedia, said at an industry event.

Industry lobby group GSMA said in a report on Tuesday that by 2025 a fifth of the total cellular connections in Malaysia will be on 5G, higher than the 17 per cent forecast for the whole of Asia Pacific.

Huawei already has preliminary 5G agreements with Malaysian companies such as Axiata's Celcom, Telekom Malaysia and Maxis.

The Shenzhen-based company expects the memorandums of understanding (MoU) to lead to contracts, a Huawei official said.

"We are ready to cooperate with our partners as Malaysia prepares to launch 5G services," he said on condition of anonymity because of company policy. "Our strengths are our technology, cost, and delivery."

Huawei's main competitor in 5G is Sweden's Ericsson, which together with Celcom powered the first 5G hologram call in Malaysia last April. The other major players are the Finnish company Nokia and China's ZTE.

China's big three state telecoms companies are racing to roll out 5G services in more than 50 cities this year. Some countries, including South Korea and the United States, have already started the service, which promises to support new technologies such as autonomous driving.

Malaysia will start a nationwide demonstration of 5G projects next month, a minister said on Tuesday, indicating it was on track to become one of the first Asian countries to launch the technology.

Malaysia will start a nationwide demonstration of 5G projects next month, a minister said on Tuesday, indicating it was on track to become one of the first Asian countries to launch the technology. The government has said it wants to start rolling out the ultra-fast mobile internet service early next year and, unlike Vietnam and some developed nations, is not averse to letting its telecoms companies work with China's Huawei. Huawei, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker, was put on a US blacklist in May after Washington said its equipment could be used for spying, a charge the company denies. That put pressure on many other countries to follow suit. But Malaysia, a nation of 32 million people, has said it is not concerned about the spying allegations, focusing instead on the relative affordability of Huawei products. "It is hoped that Malaysia's early commitment to 5G, to rapidly deploying 5G testbeds and nationwide demonstration projects, will position the country as one of the leaders of 5G adoption in the world," Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysia's minister of communications and multimedia, said at an industry event. Industry lobby group GSMA said in a report on Tuesday that by 2025 a fifth of the total cellular connections in Malaysia will be on 5G, higher than the 17 per cent forecast for the whole of Asia Pacific. Huawei already has preliminary 5G agreements with Malaysian companies such as Axiata's Celcom, Telekom Malaysia and Maxis. The Shenzhen-based company expects the memorandums of understanding (MoU) to lead to contracts, a Huawei official said. "We are ready to cooperate with our partners as Malaysia prepares to launch 5G services," he said on condition of anonymity because of company policy. "Our strengths are our technology, cost, and delivery." Huawei's main competitor in 5G is Sweden's Ericsson, which together with Celcom powered the first 5G hologram call in Malaysia last April. The other major players are the Finnish company Nokia and China's ZTE. China's big three state telecoms companies are racing to roll out 5G services in more than 50 cities this year. Some countries, including South Korea and the United States, have already started the service, which promises to support new technologies such as autonomous driving.

Malaysia's 5G plan a potential boon for China's Huawei

China has again intruded in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone(EEZ), the third major intrusion this year. The intrusion, according to Vietnam government sources began on September 7 and is underway with<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vietnam-says-deeply-concerned-about-developments-in-south-china-sea-244942"> Chinese ships</a> along with coast guards still present.&nbsp;

The previous two intrusions had taken place on July 3 and August 13. &nbsp;On July 3, Chinese ship Hauyang Dihi Bahao escorted by Chinese coast guard entered in Hanoi's EEZ but left on August 7, it was followed by the second incursion that started on August 13 and ended on September 2.

Hanoi is mulling a number of actions including excercising legal option against China with the source saying, "can't rule out anything".

The first and second intrusion saw Chinese boats being placed near<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-intrudes-into-vietnams-economic-zone-places-coast-guards-near-ongc-block-244631"> ONGC Videsh Ltd's block</a>. The July 3 intrusion was closest to the ONGC block while the current case that began on September 7 saw Chinese ships near Vietnam's mainland.

Vietnam has raised these intrusions with China through the various diplomatic channel almost forty times. Ten countries have so far reacted to Chinese intrusion in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone which include India, US, France, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, EU and ASEAN.

The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "South China Sea is part of the global commons. &nbsp;India, therefore, has an abiding interest in the peace and stability in the region."

Reiterating that India stands for "freedom of navigation and over-flight, and unimpeded lawful commerce in the international waters in accordance with international laws, notably UNCLOS", the foreign affairs spokesman&nbsp;added that "differences must be resolved peacefully by respecting the legal and diplomatic processes, and without resorting to threat or use of force."

This year has seen the the third major escalation by the Chinese side into Vietnam's EEZ. Earlier in 2011 and 2014, Bejing had intruded into Vietnam's EEZ . In 2011, China had cut Vietnamese cables and in 2014 Beijing had placed a drilling platform which was later withdrawn.

China has again intruded in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone(EEZ), the third major intrusion this year. The intrusion, according to Vietnam government sources began on September 7 and is underway with Chinese ships along with coast guards still present.

China has again intruded in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone(EEZ), the third major intrusion this year. The intrusion, according to Vietnam government sources began on September 7 and is underway with Chinese ships along with coast guards still present. The previous two intrusions had taken place on July 3 and August 13. On July 3, Chinese ship Hauyang Dihi Bahao escorted by Chinese coast guard entered in Hanoi's EEZ but left on August 7, it was followed by the second incursion that started on August 13 and ended on September 2. Hanoi is mulling a number of actions including excercising legal option against China with the source saying, "can't rule out anything". The first and second intrusion saw Chinese boats being placed near ONGC Videsh Ltd's block. The July 3 intrusion was closest to the ONGC block while the current case that began on September 7 saw Chinese ships near Vietnam's mainland. Vietnam has raised these intrusions with China through the various diplomatic channel almost forty times. Ten countries have so far reacted to Chinese intrusion in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone which include India, US, France, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, EU and ASEAN. The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "South China Sea is part of the global commons. India, therefore, has an abiding interest in the peace and stability in the region." Reiterating that India stands for "freedom of navigation and over-flight, and unimpeded lawful commerce in the international waters in accordance with international laws, notably UNCLOS", the foreign affairs spokesman added that "differences must be resolved peacefully by respecting the legal and diplomatic processes, and without resorting to threat or use of force." This year has seen the the third major escalation by the Chinese side into Vietnam's EEZ. Earlier in 2011 and 2014, Bejing had intruded into Vietnam's EEZ . In 2011, China had cut Vietnamese cables and in 2014 Beijing had placed a drilling platform which was later withdrawn.

China intrudes into Vietnam's exclusive economic zone for the third time this year

China hits back at Vietnam and Australia. Watch video to know more.

China hits back at Vietnam and Australia

Vietnam is "deeply concerned" about recent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-criticises-militarisation-of-south-china-sea-240822">developments in the South China Sea</a>, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said on Friday.

Vietnamese and Chinese vessels have since early July been locked in a tense standoff in Vietnamese-controlled waters in the South China Sea, where a Chinese vessel appeared to have been conducting a seismic survey.

The United States also said on Thursday it was deeply concerned about China's interference in oil and gas activities in waters claimed by Vietnam, and that the deployment of the vessels was "an escalation by Beijing in its efforts to intimidate other claimants out of developing resources in the South China Sea."

Phuc was speaking at a press conference alongside his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, who is in Hanoi for a three-day visit.

Vietnam is "deeply concerned" about recent developments in the South China Sea, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said on Friday. Vietnamese and Chinese vessels have since early July been locked in a tense standoff in Vietnamese-controlled waters in the South China Sea, where a Chinese vessel appeared to have been conducting a seismic survey.

Vietnam is "deeply concerned" about recent developments in the South China Sea, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said on Friday. Vietnamese and Chinese vessels have since early July been locked in a tense standoff in Vietnamese-controlled waters in the South China Sea, where a Chinese vessel appeared to have been conducting a seismic survey. The United States also said on Thursday it was deeply concerned about China's interference in oil and gas activities in waters claimed by Vietnam, and that the deployment of the vessels was "an escalation by Beijing in its efforts to intimidate other claimants out of developing resources in the South China Sea." Phuc was speaking at a press conference alongside his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, who is in Hanoi for a three-day visit.

Vietnam says 'deeply concerned' about developments in South China Sea

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-intrudes-into-vietnams-economic-zone-places-coast-guards-near-ongc-block-244631">China intrudes into Vietnam's economic zone, places Coast Guards near ONGC block</a> 
 
Bejing has placed two of its coast guard ships near ONGC's block.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/international-waterways-wont-be-safe-if-iran-oil-exports-cut-to-zero-president-rouhani-244636">International waterways won't be safe if Iran oil exports cut to zero: President Rouhani</a> 
 
Global commodity trading has been rocked in recent months by the seizure of the British tanker and a series of attacks on international merchant vessels.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-take-all-necessary-measures-including-sanctions-on-us-companies-involved-in-arms-sale-to-taiwan-china-244609">Will take all necessary measures including sanctions on US companies involved in arms sale to Taiwan: China</a> 
 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said in a statement that President Donald Trump had green-lighted the proposed sale after Congress was notified last week.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-consulate-employee-in-hong-kong-being-held-in-china-foreign-ministry-244603">UK consulate employee in Hong Kong being held in China: Foreign ministry</a> 
 
Geng said the employee was from Hong Kong and therefore the issue was an internal matter.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/defence-minister-iaf-chief-to-visit-france-to-receive-first-indian-rafale-fighter-plane-244646">Rajnath Singh, IAF chief to visit France to receive first Indian Rafale fighter plane</a> 
 
India has signed a deal with France for the acquisition of 36 Rafale combat jets from France, which will start arriving India from May next year.

China intrudes into Vietnam's economic zone, places Coast Guards near ONGC block Bejing has placed two of its coast guard ships near ONGC's block. International waterways won't be safe if Iran oil exports cut to zero: President Rouhani Global commodity trading has been rocked in recent months by the seizure of the British tanker and a series of attacks on international merchant vessels.

China intrudes into Vietnam's economic zone, places Coast Guards near ONGC block Bejing has placed two of its coast guard ships near ONGC's block. International waterways won't be safe if Iran oil exports cut to zero: President Rouhani Global commodity trading has been rocked in recent months by the seizure of the British tanker and a series of attacks on international merchant vessels. Will take all necessary measures including sanctions on US companies involved in arms sale to Taiwan: China Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said in a statement that President Donald Trump had green-lighted the proposed sale after Congress was notified last week. UK consulate employee in Hong Kong being held in China: Foreign ministry Geng said the employee was from Hong Kong and therefore the issue was an internal matter. Rajnath Singh, IAF chief to visit France to receive first Indian Rafale fighter plane India has signed a deal with France for the acquisition of 36 Rafale combat jets from France, which will start arriving India from May next year.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The death toll from a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/police-among-18-feared-killed-in-landslide-at-myanmar-jade-mine-238967"> landslide triggered by monsoon rains in eastern Myanmar </a>rose to at least 34, an official said Saturday, as emergency workers continued a desperate search through thick mud for scores more feared to miss.&nbsp;

Myanmar's monsoon season brings an annual torrent of heavy downpours, which often leaves tens of thousands displaced from flooded homes and triggering deadly landslides across its more hilly regions.

A huge brown gash on the hillside marked where the deluge of mud flooded onto Ye Pyar Kone village in Mon state on Friday, wiping out 16 homes.

Search and rescue teams worked through the night with excavators and their bare hands trying to find survivors and recover bodies from the deep sludge, continuing through Saturday.&nbsp;

'We found 34 dead, and the search for dead bodies is still ongoing,' local administrator Myo Min Tun told AFP.

So far, 47 people have been left injured while officials believe that more than 80 people could still be missing.&nbsp;

Aerial pictures showed broken remnants of rooftops and other debris from the houses strewn next to trucks knocked over by the force of the mudslide.

The village's hillside temple was left inundated, leaving the pagoda's golden spire peeking out from beneath the mud.

Htay Win, 32, told AFP that two of her daughters and five other relatives had still not been found.

She only survived because she had left her home minutes earlier to go look at the flooding nearby.

'I heard a huge noise and turned round to see my home being hit by the mud,' she said, crying.

Rescue workers spent Saturday morning loading bodies wrapped in plastic onto the back of flatbed trucks as worried villagers looked on. 
&nbsp; 
Tin Htay described how he and his family managed to escape when the landslide hit his house and his efforts to rescue others trapped by the mud.

'I dragged a woman and two children from a car but I could not reach two other people, so I had to leave them,' the 30-year-old said.

Emergency crews had to unblock the main highway from Yangon to Mawlamyine, buried under six feet (1.8 metres) of sludge.

Torrential downpours have burst riverbanks across the country while coastal communities have been warned of higher tides.

In the town of Shwegyin in the eastern Bago region, residents waded out through waist-deep waters or waited to be rescued by boat after the Sittaung river burst its banks, swallowing entire homes.

Around 89,000 people have been displaced by floods in recent weeks, although many have since been able to return home, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Vietnam has also experienced heavy flooding this week with at least eight people killed in the country's central highlands and rescuers using a zip line to carry dozens of others to safety.

The death toll from a landslide triggered by monsoon rains in eastern Myanmar rose to at least 34, an official said Saturday, as emergency workers continued a desperate search through thick mud for scores more feared to miss.

The death toll from a landslide triggered by monsoon rains in eastern Myanmar rose to at least 34, an official said Saturday, as emergency workers continued a desperate search through thick mud for scores more feared to miss. Myanmar's monsoon season brings an annual torrent of heavy downpours, which often leaves tens of thousands displaced from flooded homes and triggering deadly landslides across its more hilly regions. A huge brown gash on the hillside marked where the deluge of mud flooded onto Ye Pyar Kone village in Mon state on Friday, wiping out 16 homes. Search and rescue teams worked through the night with excavators and their bare hands trying to find survivors and recover bodies from the deep sludge, continuing through Saturday. 'We found 34 dead, and the search for dead bodies is still ongoing,' local administrator Myo Min Tun told AFP. So far, 47 people have been left injured while officials believe that more than 80 people could still be missing. Aerial pictures showed broken remnants of rooftops and other debris from the houses strewn next to trucks knocked over by the force of the mudslide. The village's hillside temple was left inundated, leaving the pagoda's golden spire peeking out from beneath the mud. Htay Win, 32, told AFP that two of her daughters and five other relatives had still not been found. She only survived because she had left her home minutes earlier to go look at the flooding nearby. 'I heard a huge noise and turned round to see my home being hit by the mud,' she said, crying. Rescue workers spent Saturday morning loading bodies wrapped in plastic onto the back of flatbed trucks as worried villagers looked on. Tin Htay described how he and his family managed to escape when the landslide hit his house and his efforts to rescue others trapped by the mud. 'I dragged a woman and two children from a car but I could not reach two other people, so I had to leave them,' the 30-year-old said. Emergency crews had to unblock the main highway from Yangon to Mawlamyine, buried under six feet (1.8 metres) of sludge. Torrential downpours have burst riverbanks across the country while coastal communities have been warned of higher tides. In the town of Shwegyin in the eastern Bago region, residents waded out through waist-deep waters or waited to be rescued by boat after the Sittaung river burst its banks, swallowing entire homes. Around 89,000 people have been displaced by floods in recent weeks, although many have since been able to return home, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Vietnam has also experienced heavy flooding this week with at least eight people killed in the country's central highlands and rescuers using a zip line to carry dozens of others to safety.

Myanmar landslide kills 34, many more feared missing

The "militarisation" of the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;is threatening peace in the contested waterway, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-urges-eu-to-reflect-political-reality-on-brexit-240580&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwivx_-EvuvjAhWlguYKHeKICEkQFjAEegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1PAaakwrM63BR3VlOdjNlx">European Union</a>'s top diplomat said Monday in Hanoi, echoing warnings from the US as pressure mounts against Beijing's ambitions in the region.

China&nbsp;has been accused of deploying warships, arming outposts and ramming fishing vessels in the resource-rich&nbsp;sea, sparking ire from other claimants.

On Monday, the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc was concerned over "increasing tension" in the area.

"We believe that this tension, this&nbsp;militarisation, is definitely not conducive to a peaceful environment," she added.&nbsp;

Beijing says it has sovereignty over the majority of the&nbsp;sea-based on the so-called nine-dash line it uses to back its claims.

The long-running spat was centre stage at a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers last week, where US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged countries to push back against Chinese "coercion" in the&nbsp;sea.

Hanoi has emerged as one of Beijing's most vocal critics in the waterway, a key global shipping route believed to hold vast oil and gas reserves.

Tensions between the communist neighbours have soared after a Chinese geological survey vessel entered waters around the Spratly Islands claimed by Hanoi in early July.

Vietnam has repeatedly called for the ship to leave, while Beijing has refused to confirm the vessel's presence.&nbsp;

It is not clear if the ship remains in Vietnam-claimed waters, and the foreign ministry did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

The US,&nbsp;EU&nbsp;and Australia have all called for freedom of navigation in the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea, which is also contested by Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

The "militarisation" of the South China Sea is threatening peace in the contested waterway, the European Union's top diplomat said Monday in Hanoi, echoing warnings from the US as pressure mounts against Beijing's ambitions in the region.

The "militarisation" of the South China Sea is threatening peace in the contested waterway, the European Union's top diplomat said Monday in Hanoi, echoing warnings from the US as pressure mounts against Beijing's ambitions in the region. China has been accused of deploying warships, arming outposts and ramming fishing vessels in the resource-rich sea, sparking ire from other claimants. On Monday, the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc was concerned over "increasing tension" in the area. "We believe that this tension, this militarisation, is definitely not conducive to a peaceful environment," she added. Beijing says it has sovereignty over the majority of the sea-based on the so-called nine-dash line it uses to back its claims. The long-running spat was centre stage at a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers last week, where US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged countries to push back against Chinese "coercion" in the sea. Hanoi has emerged as one of Beijing's most vocal critics in the waterway, a key global shipping route believed to hold vast oil and gas reserves. Tensions between the communist neighbours have soared after a Chinese geological survey vessel entered waters around the Spratly Islands claimed by Hanoi in early July. Vietnam has repeatedly called for the ship to leave, while Beijing has refused to confirm the vessel's presence. It is not clear if the ship remains in Vietnam-claimed waters, and the foreign ministry did not respond to AFP's request for comment. The US, EU and Australia have all called for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which is also contested by Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

European Union criticises 'militarisation' of South China Sea

Vietnam will contend with severe power shortages from 2021 as electricity demand outpaces construction of new power plants in the Southeast Asian country, the Ministry of Industry and Trade told Reuters on Wednesday.

The lack of energy infrastructure could put the brakes on foreign investment inflows into one of Asia's fastest-growing economies and challenge Vietnam's position as the top beneficiary of the US-China trade war.

Vietnam's demand for electricity will exceed its supply by 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2021, increasing to 15 billion kWh by 2023, equivalent to about 5% of forecasted demand for electricity then, the ministry said in an emailed statement.

In addition to the shortfall, many energy projects in Vietnam have been facing long delays, the ministry told Reuters.

"Developers are facing difficulties securing sufficient funds from local sources, and the government has limited its guarantee for foreign loans," the ministry statement said.

Vietnam will need an average of $6.7 billion a year to expand its annual power generation capacity by 10% between 2016 and 2030, it added.&nbsp;

"This is a big challenge, given that current electricity prices in Vietnam are barely enough for the developers to make a profit," the statement said.

Last month, state media said 47 of Vietnam's 62 electric generation projects of 200 megawatts (MW) or more faced delays, with some at least two years behind schedule.

With a population of 96 million and annual gross domestic product growth of about 7% backed by robust foreign investment and exports, Vietnam's power generation will need to rise from about 48,600 MW currently to 60,000 MW by 2020 and 129,500 MW by 2030, according to government data.

Daine Loh, power and renewables analyst at Fitch Solutions, said the potential power shortage will pose some degree of risk to Vietnam's manufacturing sector, but the shortage won't be significant enough to have a severe impact on foreign investment into the country.

"We believe that Vietnam will have the capacity to resolve their power shortages by increasing electricity imports over the coming years, which will come largely from Laos and China," Loh said on Wednesday.

She said Vietnam already has some infrastructure in place to buy around 1 GW of electricity a year from its neighbours.&nbsp;

The World Bank last year said that Vietnam needs to invest up to $150 billion by 2030, almost twice the $80 billion spent on its power sector since 2010.

Vietnam is increasingly reliant on coal, which makes up 38.1% of the country's generating capacity, the ministry said, adding that Vietnam will have to use 720 million tonnes of domestic coal in addition to 680 million tonnes of imported coal to feed its power plants during the 2016-2030 period.

It will also have to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) for its power plants, the ministry said, and the power shortage is expected to subside gradually after 2025 when several new gas-fired power plants go online.

Fitch Solutions'&nbsp;Loh said the key risks to foreign investment and other economic benefits in Vietnam are more likely to stem from political factors, referring to ongoing disputes over the South China Sea.

&nbsp;

Vietnam will contend with severe power shortages from 2021 as electricity demand outpaces construction of new power plants in the Southeast Asian country, the Ministry of Industry and Trade told Reuters on Wednesday.

Vietnam will contend with severe power shortages from 2021 as electricity demand outpaces construction of new power plants in the Southeast Asian country, the Ministry of Industry and Trade told Reuters on Wednesday. The lack of energy infrastructure could put the brakes on foreign investment inflows into one of Asia's fastest-growing economies and challenge Vietnam's position as the top beneficiary of the US-China trade war. Vietnam's demand for electricity will exceed its supply by 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2021, increasing to 15 billion kWh by 2023, equivalent to about 5% of forecasted demand for electricity then, the ministry said in an emailed statement. In addition to the shortfall, many energy projects in Vietnam have been facing long delays, the ministry told Reuters. "Developers are facing difficulties securing sufficient funds from local sources, and the government has limited its guarantee for foreign loans," the ministry statement said. Vietnam will need an average of $6.7 billion a year to expand its annual power generation capacity by 10% between 2016 and 2030, it added. "This is a big challenge, given that current electricity prices in Vietnam are barely enough for the developers to make a profit," the statement said. Last month, state media said 47 of Vietnam's 62 electric generation projects of 200 megawatts (MW) or more faced delays, with some at least two years behind schedule. With a population of 96 million and annual gross domestic product growth of about 7% backed by robust foreign investment and exports, Vietnam's power generation will need to rise from about 48,600 MW currently to 60,000 MW by 2020 and 129,500 MW by 2030, according to government data. Daine Loh, power and renewables analyst at Fitch Solutions, said the potential power shortage will pose some degree of risk to Vietnam's manufacturing sector, but the shortage won't be significant enough to have a severe impact on foreign investment into the country. "We believe that Vietnam will have the capacity to resolve their power shortages by increasing electricity imports over the coming years, which will come largely from Laos and China," Loh said on Wednesday. She said Vietnam already has some infrastructure in place to buy around 1 GW of electricity a year from its neighbours. The World Bank last year said that Vietnam needs to invest up to $150 billion by 2030, almost twice the $80 billion spent on its power sector since 2010. Vietnam is increasingly reliant on coal, which makes up 38.1% of the country's generating capacity, the ministry said, adding that Vietnam will have to use 720 million tonnes of domestic coal in addition to 680 million tonnes of imported coal to feed its power plants during the 2016-2030 period. It will also have to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) for its power plants, the ministry said, and the power shortage is expected to subside gradually after 2025 when several new gas-fired power plants go online. Fitch Solutions' Loh said the key risks to foreign investment and other economic benefits in Vietnam are more likely to stem from political factors, referring to ongoing disputes over the South China Sea.

Vietnam will face severe power shortages from 2021: Ministry

China's top diplomat Wang Yi said maritime problems involving Vietnam should not interfere with bilateral relations, according to a report released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tensions between <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/china-warns-outsiders-not-to-sow-distrust-in-south-china-sea-239750&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjJo8nOseHjAhVH_XMBHfosBk4QFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1m7dDqekgrr56MzmR6XYoq">Vietnam and China</a> have risen over a weeks-long standoff between ships near an offshore oil block in the South China Sea.

China released the statement following a meeting between Wang and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Thursday in Bangkok. Wang said China-Vietnam relations continued to develop and the two sides will "properly control and manage the situation at sea."

China's top diplomat Wang Yi said maritime problems involving Vietnam should not interfere with bilateral relations, according to a report released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi said maritime problems involving Vietnam should not interfere with bilateral relations, according to a report released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tensions between Vietnam and China have risen over a weeks-long standoff between ships near an offshore oil block in the South China Sea. China released the statement following a meeting between Wang and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Thursday in Bangkok. Wang said China-Vietnam relations continued to develop and the two sides will "properly control and manage the situation at sea."

Vietnam 'maritime problems' should not impinge on bilateral ties: China

China’s latest move in the South China Sea has further riled up tense atmosphere prevailing in the region.&nbsp;

This time it is Vietnam. Vietnam claims that Chinese seismic survey vehicle Haiyang Dizhi 8 conducted marine surveys in Vietnam’s water.&nbsp;

It further claims that China conducted activities to obstruct Vietnam’s oil and gas exploration at Block 06/1 which lies within Vietnam’s EEZ and CS, where this exploration has taken place for decades. Vietnam has claimed that on July 4, 2019, multiple Chinese vessels escorted Haiyan Dizhi and at a point of time were 35 in number. It is claimed that the main vessel was assisted by a large fleet of Coast Guard, fishing, transport and towing vessels.

As of now, 10 to 12 Chinese vessels are still in the area which is near a joint venture run by PetroVietnam, Russia’s Rosneft and India’s ONGC which is involved in regular oil and gas production from past 17 years.

Vietnam expects India to exert itself on this issue as the matter is being taken very seriously by the Vietnamese government. Such was the intensity of the brush at the sea that Chinese vessels utilised water cannons against Vietnamese vessels. Chinese premier Xi Jinping is expected to visit India in October to have a one-on-one session with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. In this context, it would be interesting to see what sort of response comes from the Ministry of External Affairs in its next press conference on Thursday.

Vietnam has taken up this issue at various forums, but does not want the issue to escalate. The idea is to reclaim the situation without China making it an ego issue. China and Vietnam have a trading relationship worth around 106 billion dollars. Vietnam wants the world to know what is happening in its water, without provoking a&nbsp;larger confrontation with the big neighbour. Vietnam wants it bigger friends like India and others to speak on the issue. India in past too has asserted that rule-based order must be respected.

The nearest location of the seismic survey operation, as per Vietnam, is 36 nautical miles from the Vietnamese baseline. 31 nautical miles from the limits of Vietnam’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.&nbsp;

As provided for the international law, the UNCLOS 1982 and the Final Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the Philippines vs China case in 2016, which concluded that features in the Spratly Islands do not generate 200 nautical miles of maritime zones and also rejected China’s nine dash line claim, China has no legal basis to make claim over this area.

China has militarised the South China Sea. Its military drills in the region have become more frequent which puts crowded trading corridor’s peace, stability and security at great risk. 
&nbsp;

China’s latest move in the South China Sea has further riled up tense atmosphere prevailing in the region. This time it is Vietnam. Vietnam claims that Chinese seismic survey vehicle Haiyang Dizhi 8 conducted marine surveys in Vietnam’s water.

China’s latest move in the South China Sea has further riled up tense atmosphere prevailing in the region. This time it is Vietnam. Vietnam claims that Chinese seismic survey vehicle Haiyang Dizhi 8 conducted marine surveys in Vietnam’s water. It further claims that China conducted activities to obstruct Vietnam’s oil and gas exploration at Block 06/1 which lies within Vietnam’s EEZ and CS, where this exploration has taken place for decades. Vietnam has claimed that on July 4, 2019, multiple Chinese vessels escorted Haiyan Dizhi and at a point of time were 35 in number. It is claimed that the main vessel was assisted by a large fleet of Coast Guard, fishing, transport and towing vessels. As of now, 10 to 12 Chinese vessels are still in the area which is near a joint venture run by PetroVietnam, Russia’s Rosneft and India’s ONGC which is involved in regular oil and gas production from past 17 years. Vietnam expects India to exert itself on this issue as the matter is being taken very seriously by the Vietnamese government. Such was the intensity of the brush at the sea that Chinese vessels utilised water cannons against Vietnamese vessels. Chinese premier Xi Jinping is expected to visit India in October to have a one-on-one session with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. In this context, it would be interesting to see what sort of response comes from the Ministry of External Affairs in its next press conference on Thursday. Vietnam has taken up this issue at various forums, but does not want the issue to escalate. The idea is to reclaim the situation without China making it an ego issue. China and Vietnam have a trading relationship worth around 106 billion dollars. Vietnam wants the world to know what is happening in its water, without provoking a larger confrontation with the big neighbour. Vietnam wants it bigger friends like India and others to speak on the issue. India in past too has asserted that rule-based order must be respected. The nearest location of the seismic survey operation, as per Vietnam, is 36 nautical miles from the Vietnamese baseline. 31 nautical miles from the limits of Vietnam’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. As provided for the international law, the UNCLOS 1982 and the Final Award of the Arbitral Tribunal in the Philippines vs China case in 2016, which concluded that features in the Spratly Islands do not generate 200 nautical miles of maritime zones and also rejected China’s nine dash line claim, China has no legal basis to make claim over this area. China has militarised the South China Sea. Its military drills in the region have become more frequent which puts crowded trading corridor’s peace, stability and security at great risk.

China makes foray inside Vietnamese water

More than 380 Chinese nationals were detained during a raid on a gambling ring in Vietnam, state media reported Sunday, in what police claim is the biggest-ever betting operation run by foreigners.

Most forms of gambling are illegal for locals in Vietnam, but the country has in recent years been used as a venue for online betting rings run by gangs from China and Taiwan.

Some 500 police officers in the northern port city of Hai Phong broke up the Chinese-run network in a raid late Saturday on a gated community called Our City where rooms were used to transact online bets worth more than $400 million, state-run Vietnam Television said.&nbsp;

"This case is considered the biggest ever in terms of scale and the number of foreigners breaking laws on Vietnam's soil," VTV reported.

The 380 Chinese nationals fielded online wagers from Chinese punters on sports betting and ran an illegal lottery, it added. &nbsp;

According to the report, police also confiscated nearly 2,000 smartphones, 530 computers, bank cards and cash.

Police declined to provide additional details when asked for comment by AFP.

Vietnam's one-party state has started loosening its rules on domestic gambling, allowing its citizens to bet in casinos on a trial basis and opening up some sports betting.

But lucrative illegal operations have mushroomed, prompting a crackdown on domestic gambling rings.

Dozens of people were convicted in Vietnam last year in connection with an online gambling ring run by a senior official in charge of policing internet betting.

More than 380 Chinese nationals were detained during a raid on a gambling ring in Vietnam, state media reported Sunday, in what police claim is the biggest-ever betting operation run by foreigners.

More than 380 Chinese nationals were detained during a raid on a gambling ring in Vietnam, state media reported Sunday, in what police claim is the biggest-ever betting operation run by foreigners. Most forms of gambling are illegal for locals in Vietnam, but the country has in recent years been used as a venue for online betting rings run by gangs from China and Taiwan. Some 500 police officers in the northern port city of Hai Phong broke up the Chinese-run network in a raid late Saturday on a gated community called Our City where rooms were used to transact online bets worth more than $400 million, state-run Vietnam Television said. "This case is considered the biggest ever in terms of scale and the number of foreigners breaking laws on Vietnam's soil," VTV reported. The 380 Chinese nationals fielded online wagers from Chinese punters on sports betting and ran an illegal lottery, it added. According to the report, police also confiscated nearly 2,000 smartphones, 530 computers, bank cards and cash. Police declined to provide additional details when asked for comment by AFP. Vietnam's one-party state has started loosening its rules on domestic gambling, allowing its citizens to bet in casinos on a trial basis and opening up some sports betting. But lucrative illegal operations have mushroomed, prompting a crackdown on domestic gambling rings. Dozens of people were convicted in Vietnam last year in connection with an online gambling ring run by a senior official in charge of policing internet betting.

Nearly 400 detained in record Vietnam gambling bust

Singapore said on Tuesday it had seized 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory, a record haul by authorities in the city-state, which conservation groups say is a transit point for the illegal wildlife trade.

The elephant ivory, estimated to be worth $12.9 million, came from nearly 300 African elephants and was heading to Vietnam through Singapore from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The haul also contained the third major seizure of pangolin scales in Singapore this year.

The pangolin, a scaly anteater, is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. Its meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and China, and the scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine, though the benefits are disputed by medical scientists.

"The seized pangolin scales and elephant ivory will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market," the Singapore Customs, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the National Parks Board said, adding that the July 21 seizure came after a tip-off from China's customs department.

The ivory haul falls just short of 9.1 tonnes seizure in Vietnam in March, which non-government organisation Environmental Investigation Agency said was thought to be the largest ever globally.

There has been a flurry of seizures, including rhino horns, in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam in recent months.

"Singapore has always been inadvertently implicated in the global ivory trade for two reasons: its global connectivity, as well as the presence of a small domestic market where pre-1990s ivory can be legally sold," said Kim Stengert, chief communications officer for WWF Singapore.&nbsp;

"The consistency of these large-scale seizures is strong evidence of organised crime behind illegal wildlife trade coming through or into Singapore."

Singapore authorities said the latest seizure also contained 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales, worth about $35.7 million and equivalent to close to 2,000 pangolins.

Singapore has seized a total of 37.5 tonnes of pangolin scales since April, including one raid which was the biggest of its kind worldwide in five years.

The city-state is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and says it is committed to the global effort to curb the illegal wildlife trade.

Singapore said on Tuesday it had seized 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory, a record haul by authorities in the city-state, which conservation groups say is a transit point for the illegal wildlife trade.

Singapore said on Tuesday it had seized 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory, a record haul by authorities in the city-state, which conservation groups say is a transit point for the illegal wildlife trade. The elephant ivory, estimated to be worth $12.9 million, came from nearly 300 African elephants and was heading to Vietnam through Singapore from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The haul also contained the third major seizure of pangolin scales in Singapore this year. The pangolin, a scaly anteater, is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. Its meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and China, and the scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine, though the benefits are disputed by medical scientists. "The seized pangolin scales and elephant ivory will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market," the Singapore Customs, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the National Parks Board said, adding that the July 21 seizure came after a tip-off from China's customs department. The ivory haul falls just short of 9.1 tonnes seizure in Vietnam in March, which non-government organisation Environmental Investigation Agency said was thought to be the largest ever globally. There has been a flurry of seizures, including rhino horns, in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam in recent months. "Singapore has always been inadvertently implicated in the global ivory trade for two reasons: its global connectivity, as well as the presence of a small domestic market where pre-1990s ivory can be legally sold," said Kim Stengert, chief communications officer for WWF Singapore. "The consistency of these large-scale seizures is strong evidence of organised crime behind illegal wildlife trade coming through or into Singapore." Singapore authorities said the latest seizure also contained 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales, worth about $35.7 million and equivalent to close to 2,000 pangolins. Singapore has seized a total of 37.5 tonnes of pangolin scales since April, including one raid which was the biggest of its kind worldwide in five years. The city-state is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and says it is committed to the global effort to curb the illegal wildlife trade.

Singapore seizes ivory from nearly 300 elephants in record haul

Big US companies are accelerating efforts to move more of their supply chains from China to neighbouring countries in light of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-plans-to-divert-40-million-in-aid-to-venezuelas-opposition-236654">Trump administration</a> tariffs.

Companies in sectors such as technology, clothing and footwear are exporting more goods from emerging giants including Vietnam and Malaysia, data show.

At the same time, the shift has exposed the murkiness of trade export rules, putting a premium on lawyers expert in the minutiae of US customs rules.

"We have a lot of questions from our members," said Sage Chandler, vice president of international trade at the Consumer Technology Association. "Companies are trying to find ways to avoid having to pay 25 per cent."&nbsp;

Some companies may be pushing the envelope a little too much, violating US rules against "transhipments," the routing of China-made goods through other countries to evade tariffs, legal experts say.

The speeding shift from China&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-seeks-to-override-supreme-court-ruling-on-census-233448">President Donald Trump</a> since last year has slapped 25 per cent duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports and threatened additional levies on all other Chinese items coming to the United States though the two sides agreed last month to hold their fire for now.

Trump's trade measures have led some multinationals to fortify their North American operations and others to transfer some manufacturing capacity from China to any number of countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philipines, Bangladesh, India and Ethiopia.

Exports of computers and electronics from Vietnam to the United States have risen 71.6 per cent in the first five months of 2019 compared with the year-ago period, according to government data.&nbsp;

The pattern has also held for other machines and equipment, with exports from Vietnam rising 54.4 per cent over that period.

Even before Trump targeted China on trade, US companies had been reducing their dependence on China because of increasing production costs and elevated transport expenses compared with other Asian countries.

But the trade war has sped up those moves.

Ralph Lauren has "accelerated the diversification of our supply chain to mitigate the long-term impact of any potential tariff outcomes," said a spokesperson for the clothing company, adding that tariffs have so far not hit the company's goods.

Xcel Brands, which owns Isaac Mizrahi, Judith Ripka and other fashion houses, will cease manufacturing in China in 2020, a big shift from two years ago when the country was the source of 100 per cent of its merchandise.&nbsp;

The company has moved clothes-making operations to Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh, and is exploring adding capacity in Central America, Mexico and Canada.

This retooling, which was in the works before the tariffs, could boost profit margins, said Xcel chief executive Robert D'Loren. The trade war with China "accelerated our sourcing diversification efforts," he said.&nbsp;

A decade ago, more than 90 per cent of US footwear was made in China. But today, the figure is 69 per cent, said Matt Priest, president of Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America.

Problem solved

Yet shifting production outside of China to other Asian centres is not necessarily a panacea.&nbsp;

Many of these countries lack the roads, airports and other vital infrastructure of the world's second-biggest economy. And there is no guarantee that the emerging manufacturing venues will be safe from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-us-tariffs-must-be-lifted-to-reach-a-deal-to-end-trade-war-232996">US tariffs</a> down the road.

Companies can also run afoul of US law if goods are made in China and then sent to an intermediate destination to dodge US tariffs.

"I have noticed an upswing in the number of tariff evasion cases that have been made public and also in the number of inquiries my firm has received," said Jeff Newman, a Boston attorney.

A June Wall Street Journal report showed that billions of dollars of Chinese-made goods were being rerouted in this manner through Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

US customers officials did not respond to request for comment.

Retail giants such as Walmart and Target say significantly reducing their reliance on Chinese-made goods is unrealistic because of the demand for low prices.

That means retailers are more likely to stop producing goods with very low-profit margins than to incur additional costs by moving production out of China, according to Priest of the footwear distributors association.&nbsp;

He points to flip flops, which earn returns of only around six or seven per cent.

"It won't be worth moving to Vietnam for six or seven per cent-margin shoes," Priest said.&nbsp;

"That shoe is not worth it."

Big US companies are accelerating efforts to move more of their supply chains from China to neighbouring countries in light of Trump administration tariffs. Companies in sectors such as technology, clothing and footwear are exporting more goods from emerging giants including Vietnam and Malaysia, data show.

Big US companies are accelerating efforts to move more of their supply chains from China to neighbouring countries in light of Trump administration tariffs. Companies in sectors such as technology, clothing and footwear are exporting more goods from emerging giants including Vietnam and Malaysia, data show. At the same time, the shift has exposed the murkiness of trade export rules, putting a premium on lawyers expert in the minutiae of US customs rules. "We have a lot of questions from our members," said Sage Chandler, vice president of international trade at the Consumer Technology Association. "Companies are trying to find ways to avoid having to pay 25 per cent." Some companies may be pushing the envelope a little too much, violating US rules against "transhipments," the routing of China-made goods through other countries to evade tariffs, legal experts say. The speeding shift from China President Donald Trump since last year has slapped 25 per cent duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports and threatened additional levies on all other Chinese items coming to the United States though the two sides agreed last month to hold their fire for now. Trump's trade measures have led some multinationals to fortify their North American operations and others to transfer some manufacturing capacity from China to any number of countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philipines, Bangladesh, India and Ethiopia. Exports of computers and electronics from Vietnam to the United States have risen 71.6 per cent in the first five months of 2019 compared with the year-ago period, according to government data. The pattern has also held for other machines and equipment, with exports from Vietnam rising 54.4 per cent over that period. Even before Trump targeted China on trade, US companies had been reducing their dependence on China because of increasing production costs and elevated transport expenses compared with other Asian countries. But the trade war has sped up those moves. Ralph Lauren has "accelerated the diversification of our supply chain to mitigate the long-term impact of any potential tariff outcomes," said a spokesperson for the clothing company, adding that tariffs have so far not hit the company's goods. Xcel Brands, which owns Isaac Mizrahi, Judith Ripka and other fashion houses, will cease manufacturing in China in 2020, a big shift from two years ago when the country was the source of 100 per cent of its merchandise. The company has moved clothes-making operations to Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh, and is exploring adding capacity in Central America, Mexico and Canada. This retooling, which was in the works before the tariffs, could boost profit margins, said Xcel chief executive Robert D'Loren. The trade war with China "accelerated our sourcing diversification efforts," he said. A decade ago, more than 90 per cent of US footwear was made in China. But today, the figure is 69 per cent, said Matt Priest, president of Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Problem solved Yet shifting production outside of China to other Asian centres is not necessarily a panacea. Many of these countries lack the roads, airports and other vital infrastructure of the world's second-biggest economy. And there is no guarantee that the emerging manufacturing venues will be safe from US tariffs down the road. Companies can also run afoul of US law if goods are made in China and then sent to an intermediate destination to dodge US tariffs. "I have noticed an upswing in the number of tariff evasion cases that have been made public and also in the number of inquiries my firm has received," said Jeff Newman, a Boston attorney. A June Wall Street Journal report showed that billions of dollars of Chinese-made goods were being rerouted in this manner through Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. US customers officials did not respond to request for comment. Retail giants such as Walmart and Target say significantly reducing their reliance on Chinese-made goods is unrealistic because of the demand for low prices. That means retailers are more likely to stop producing goods with very low-profit margins than to incur additional costs by moving production out of China, according to Priest of the footwear distributors association. He points to flip flops, which earn returns of only around six or seven per cent. "It won't be worth moving to Vietnam for six or seven per cent-margin shoes," Priest said. "That shoe is not worth it."

US importers find ways to adapt to, skirt Donald Trump's tariffs

The US State Department said on Saturday it is concerned by reports of China`s interference with oil and gas activities in the South China Sea, including Vietnam`s long-standing exploration and production activities.

"China`s repeated provocative actions aimed at the offshore oil and gas development of other claimant states threatens regional energy security and undermines the free and open Indo-Pacific energy market," the State Department said in a statement.

Vietnam on Friday accused a Chinese oil survey vessel and its escorts of violating its sovereignty and demanded that China remove the ships from Vietnamese waters.&nbsp;

Vietnam and China have for years-long been embroiled in a dispute over the potentially energy-rich stretch of waters in the South China Sea.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, two US-based think tanks reported that Chinese and Vietnamese vessels had engaged in a standoff lasting several weeks near an oil block in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. Neither Beijing nor Hanoi have directly confirmed or denied the reports.

"The United States firmly opposes coercion and intimidation by any claimant to assert its territorial or maritime claims," the State Department said.&nbsp;

"China should cease its bullying behaviour and refrain from engaging in this type of provocative and destabilizing activity," it added.

The State Department also pointed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo`s comments earlier this year when he said, "by blocking development in the South China Sea through coercive means, China prevents ASEAN members from accessing more than $2.5 trillion in recoverable energy reserves."

The State Department also said that China`s growing pressure on ASEAN countries to accept provisions that seek to restrict their right to partner with third-party companies or countries further reveal its intent to assert control over oil and gas resources in the South China Sea.&nbsp;

"China’s reclamation and militarization of disputed outposts in the South China Sea...including the use of maritime militia to intimidate, coerce, and threaten other nations, undermine the peace and security of the region," it said.

The US State Department said on Saturday it is concerned by reports of China`s interference with oil and gas activities in the South China Sea, including Vietnam`s long-standing exploration and production activities.

The US State Department said on Saturday it is concerned by reports of China`s interference with oil and gas activities in the South China Sea, including Vietnam`s long-standing exploration and production activities. "China`s repeated provocative actions aimed at the offshore oil and gas development of other claimant states threatens regional energy security and undermines the free and open Indo-Pacific energy market," the State Department said in a statement. Vietnam on Friday accused a Chinese oil survey vessel and its escorts of violating its sovereignty and demanded that China remove the ships from Vietnamese waters. Vietnam and China have for years-long been embroiled in a dispute over the potentially energy-rich stretch of waters in the South China Sea. On Wednesday, two US-based think tanks reported that Chinese and Vietnamese vessels had engaged in a standoff lasting several weeks near an oil block in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. Neither Beijing nor Hanoi have directly confirmed or denied the reports. "The United States firmly opposes coercion and intimidation by any claimant to assert its territorial or maritime claims," the State Department said. "China should cease its bullying behaviour and refrain from engaging in this type of provocative and destabilizing activity," it added. The State Department also pointed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo`s comments earlier this year when he said, "by blocking development in the South China Sea through coercive means, China prevents ASEAN members from accessing more than $2.5 trillion in recoverable energy reserves." The State Department also said that China`s growing pressure on ASEAN countries to accept provisions that seek to restrict their right to partner with third-party companies or countries further reveal its intent to assert control over oil and gas resources in the South China Sea. "China’s reclamation and militarization of disputed outposts in the South China Sea...including the use of maritime militia to intimidate, coerce, and threaten other nations, undermine the peace and security of the region," it said.

Concerned by reports of Chinese interference in South China Sea: US State Department

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-has-changed-a-lot-since-bimstecs-inception-thailand-ambassador-227899">Thailand</a>'s rice exports fell by 12 per cent in the first half of 2019 hurt by a strong baht, and will likely fall short of this year's target of 9.5 million tonnes, an exporter group said on Wednesday.

The country has been struggling to export rice at a time when the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rice-demand-dwindles-in-top-asian-exporters-thai-rates-hit-by-fresh-supplies-200354">Thai baht is Asia's best-performing currency</a> and is trading near its strongest in more than six years at 30.81 against the US dollar.

Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter after India, shipped 4.2 million tonnes of rice between January and June, with orders in the last two months declining to as low as 600,000 tonnes per month. This was below a targeted monthly average of 800,000 tonnes.

"Thai rice is very expensive because of the currency exchange," Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters.

"If the baht keeps strengthening below 30 against the dollar, it's game over for us."

Thai benchmark 5 per cent broken rice was quoted last Thursday at an average of $404 per tonne, significantly higher than the same grade from competitors India and Vietnam at $372.5 and $332.50 respectively.

The association said earlier this year it aimed to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice, already a drop from 11 million tonnes in 2018.

But now, even reaching 9 million tonnes will be hard, Chookiat said.

"With a price gap like this, it's a no-brainer that buyers would go for Vietnamese rice," he said.

China Supply

Thailand also faced competition from China, as the world's biggest rice importer and Thailand's third-biggest buyer last year has been offloading its stockpiles.

China has slowed trade with its two biggest partners Thailand and Vietnam this year due to large state reserves, and has been selling its stockpiles of "old rice", which ended up in the African markets previously dominated by Thailand, Chookiat said.

"Because China doesn't buy from Vietnam this year, Vietnam has a lot of rice to compete with us in every market. At the same time China takes our African markets," he said.

From January to May, Thailand has exported rice worth 3.7 billion baht ($120.1 million) to China, a 45% decline from the same period last year, according to the Thai commerce ministry data.

Thailand's government-to-government deal with Chinese state-owned food trader COFCO has also stalled due to China's ample rice supply.

As of end-2018, Thailand had supplied 700,000 tonnes of rice to China as part of the pledged deal for 1 million tonnes of the grain struck in 2015.

"From then to now, there haven't been any new orders for the deal," Chookiat said.

($1 = 30.8100 baht)

Thailand's rice exports fell by 12 per cent in the first half of 2019 hurt by a strong baht, and will likely fall short of this year's target of 9.5 million tonnes, an exporter group said on Wednesday.

Thailand's rice exports fell by 12 per cent in the first half of 2019 hurt by a strong baht, and will likely fall short of this year's target of 9.5 million tonnes, an exporter group said on Wednesday. The country has been struggling to export rice at a time when the Thai baht is Asia's best-performing currency and is trading near its strongest in more than six years at 30.81 against the US dollar. Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter after India, shipped 4.2 million tonnes of rice between January and June, with orders in the last two months declining to as low as 600,000 tonnes per month. This was below a targeted monthly average of 800,000 tonnes. "Thai rice is very expensive because of the currency exchange," Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters. "If the baht keeps strengthening below 30 against the dollar, it's game over for us." Thai benchmark 5 per cent broken rice was quoted last Thursday at an average of $404 per tonne, significantly higher than the same grade from competitors India and Vietnam at $372.5 and $332.50 respectively. The association said earlier this year it aimed to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice, already a drop from 11 million tonnes in 2018. But now, even reaching 9 million tonnes will be hard, Chookiat said. "With a price gap like this, it's a no-brainer that buyers would go for Vietnamese rice," he said. China Supply Thailand also faced competition from China, as the world's biggest rice importer and Thailand's third-biggest buyer last year has been offloading its stockpiles. China has slowed trade with its two biggest partners Thailand and Vietnam this year due to large state reserves, and has been selling its stockpiles of "old rice", which ended up in the African markets previously dominated by Thailand, Chookiat said. "Because China doesn't buy from Vietnam this year, Vietnam has a lot of rice to compete with us in every market. At the same time China takes our African markets," he said. From January to May, Thailand has exported rice worth 3.7 billion baht ($120.1 million) to China, a 45% decline from the same period last year, according to the Thai commerce ministry data. Thailand's government-to-government deal with Chinese state-owned food trader COFCO has also stalled due to China's ample rice supply. As of end-2018, Thailand had supplied 700,000 tonnes of rice to China as part of the pledged deal for 1 million tonnes of the grain struck in 2015. "From then to now, there haven't been any new orders for the deal," Chookiat said. ($1 = 30.8100 baht)

Thailand rice exports hit by strong baht, unlikely to meet 2019 goal

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