China, Vietnam should avoid magnifying S China sea disputes

HANOI/SHANGHAI: China and Vietnam should refrain from unilateral actions regarding the South China Sea that could complicate the situation and magnify disputes, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi told a Vietnamese official, China's foreign ministry said.

State Councillor Wang was speaking with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh during a visit to Vietnam, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Wang's visit to Vietnam, part of his week-long Southeast Asian tour, came about two weeks after US Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to the region. The Vietnamese prime minister said in a meeting with the Chinese ambassador just hours before Harris' visit that Vietnam did not align itself with one country against any other.