Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam said that the nation is preparing for a potential war with China to defend its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, according to the Hanoi-based Tuoi Tre newspaper on July 2.
Considered as a major pro-Chinese political figure, this is the first time Trong has discussed the possibility of a war between Beijing and Hanoi. He said that the Vietnamese government will do its best to avoid a direct confrontation with China; however, Trong criticized Chinese leaders for provoking conflict with Vietnam through deploying an oil platform in the waters off the Paracel islands in May, an incident that triggered strong anti-China sentiment in the Southeast Asian country.
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