US may get dragged into South China Sea dispute

As the United States expressed concern over the China-Vietnam flare-up in the South China Sea, Hanoi said late on Friday that it welcomes international efforts, including by the US, to help resolve the dispute.

"We've been troubled by some of these reports about the South China Sea and believe they only serve to raise tensions and don't help with the peace and security of the region," said state department spokesman Mark Toner in Washington.

"We support a collaborative diplomatic process... and call on all claimants to conform all of their claims, both land and maritime, to international law."

He said the United States and the international community at large share an interest in maintaining maritime security in the region, citing freedom of navigation, economic development and respect for international law.

In Hanoi, asked about a possible role for the United States or others in resolving the disputes, Vietnamese foreign ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga said, "Maintaining maritime peace, stability, security and safety in the Eastern Sea is in the common interests of all nations within and outside the region."
 
Using the Vietnamese term for the South China Sea, she added, "Every effort by the international community toward maintaining peace and stability in the Eastern Sea is welcome."
 
Beijing says it is committed to peace in the South China Sea, but its more assertive maritime posture has caused concern among regional nations.

Tensions between China and Vietnam are at their highest level in years, with China and Vietnam trading accusations of violating sovereignty.