Vietnam on Saturday launched its biggest sea festival to raise awareness on protecting the country's maritime sovereignty amid a dispute with China, according to dpa. The five-day festival kicked off in Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa province. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said the sea and islands "played a vital role in the socio-economic development of the country." China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei have competing claims over various parts of the South China Sea. The disputed islands and surrounding waters are believed to be rich in fish and mineral resources. In a move to assert its sea sovereignty, the Vietnam navy is to hold military exercises in the South China Sea. The drills follow China's accusation last week that Vietnam had illegally entered its waters and put the lives of its fishermen at risk. On the same day, Vietnam criticized China after a seismic survey ship was allegedly harassed by Chinese fishermen. A State Department spokesman said Friday that the United States was "troubled" by reports from the South China Sea that raised maritime security issues, including respect for international law. President Nguyen Minh Triet has said that Vietnam was "ready to sacrifice everything to protect our homeland, our sea and island sovereignty."
