A number of Germany’s major newspapers have continued to run articles on China’s illegal act of placing the Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling rig in Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The Der Spiegel newspaper in its May 13 publication quoted US Secretary of State John Kerry as saying that China has acted provocatively in disputes in the East Sea.

According the article, the Secretary of State held telephone talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to criticise Beijing’s aggressive deed and call on the country to solve the dispute by peaceful means in line with international law.

The article also inserted photos showing Chinese ships surrounding the rig ramming and firing water cannons at Vietnamese vessels and another on Vietnam’s international press conference on the situation.

Meanwhile, the Deutsch Welle newspaper also ran an article by Frank Sieren, who has lived in Beijing for 20 years.

In his article, Sieren wrote that tensions at sea between China and other countries have become more serious, with the placement of the rig in Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone following territorial disputes with Japan and the Philippines.

Demonstrations by Vietnamese people worldwide to oppose China’s illegal act in the East Sea were also covered in several German newspapers.

On May 2, China stationed the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 nautical miles deep inside Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and 119 nautical miles from Viet Nam’s Ly Son Island.

China has so far deployed 86 vessels of various kinds to the area, including military, coast guard, marine surveillance, marine patrol and fishing ships.

The provocative acts by China, including the ramming and firing of water cannons into Vietnamese coast guard ships during their law enforcement missions in the country’s waters have left many Vietnamese ships damaged and nine fisheries surveillance officers injured.

(Source: VNA)