A fleet of Chinese ships has left Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, Hanoi said on Thursday, ending a tense month-long stand off in the resource-rich waterway claimed by both sides and others.
A Chinese survey vessel and several accompanying ships entered the waters around the Spratly Islands early last month, drawing ire from Hanoi, the US and the EU over Chinese increasing aggression in the resource-rich seas.
Hanoi on Thursday confirmed the vessels had left its exclusive economic zone, after weeks of repeated demands to vacate.
“On August 7, 2019, the group of Haiyang 8 vessels belonging to China ended its geological survey operation and left Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone,” foreign affairs ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told reporters.
She added Vietnam has been “expressing and showing goodwill to use dialogue with relevant countries to solve disputes”.