Vietnam says ready for talks on territos20ry dispute04-12-10
Last Updated 10/12/2004, 09:03:58

Vietnam says it is ready for talks on territory in the South China Sea, which is disputed by several nations.

However, a defence white paper makes clear that the Vietnamese government is sticking by its claims in the region.

The white paper insists Vietnam is the rightful owner of the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, which are believed to straddle rich oil and gas fields.

Reuters news agency says in a rare briefing for foreign media on the document, the deputy defence minister, General Nguyen Huy Hieu, said Vietnam was ready for peaceful negotiations.

Reuter says the white paper, Vietnam's second since 1998, says Vietnam will enter no military alliances nor allow foreign military bases on the disputed islands.

Vietnam, China and Taiwan claim the whole of the Spratlys, while Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines claim portions.

http://abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1262025.htm