(VOVworld) – UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has voiced his concern over the East Sea situation at a meeting with Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, head of the Vietnam UN mission, in New York on Monday. He called on all involved parties to practice restraint and settle conflicts through dialogue and peaceful means in line with the UN Charter and international law.

A Chinese vessel fires water-cannons at Vietnamese ship near the site of illegal oil-rig Hai Yang 981 within Vietnam's waters.

The Vietnamese diplomat updated Feltman on the latest developments regarding China’s illegal deployment of oil-rig Haiyang 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. Ambassador Trung protested China’s illegal actions, including the deployment of several warships and aircraft at the oil-rig site. Chinese vessels intentionally rammed, intimidated, and fired water-cannons at Vietnamese ships, damaging the ships and injuring their crews. The Vietnamese Ambassador called on the UN to continue supporting Vietnam’s goodwill and called for an end to escalating tensions and threats of violence.