Mobs chanting anti-Chinese slogans have set at least 15 foreign factories on
fire in southern Vietnam.
An analyst said the incidents were among the country's most serious riots and
would tarnish its image as an investment and tourist destination.
The rioting started late on Tuesday when about 19,000 workers protested at a
Singapore-run industrial park and others nearby in Binh Duong province, 1,120 km
south of Hanoi, the capital.
Authorities said rioting and looting forced the closure of 1,000 factories,
but no casualties were confirmed. About 500 people were arrested.
The incidents came after anti-China street protests over the weekend
following Beijing's recent deployment of an oil drilling rig in its territorial
waters in the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Vietnam.
In a phone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart on Wednesday, Foreign
Minister Wang Yi said China wanted Vietnam to calm the situation.
"China's stance of protecting its legal sovereign rights is firm, clear and
will not change," he said.
Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing had lodged protests with the
Vietnamese ambassador, asking the Vietnamese "to immediately take effective
steps to stop and punish these crimes, and to ensure the safety of Chinese
citizens and institutions in Vietnam."
Hua said Hanoi had deliberately escalated tensions by allowing its vessels to
ram Chinese boats around the rig on 169 occasions on Tuesday and by arranging
for reporters to cover the process.
"This was all done for show in an attempt to present a false picture and
deceive the public," she said.
Li Jinming, a Xiamen University professor of maritime law and South China Sea
studies, said, "Vietnam is provoking China on land and sea in a high-stakes
gamble."
Tran Van Nam, deputy head of the province's people's committee, was quoted by
VnExpress as saying that the protests were initially peaceful but had been
hijacked by extremists who incited people to break into the factories.
Hundreds of other factories were vandalized or looted, while some security
guards and technicians were assaulted, the official said.
He said people attacked factories they believed were run by companies from
the Chinese mainland, but some were run by people from Taiwan, Japan or South
Korea.
On Wednesday morning, nearly all the factories in the area were closed and
riot police had been deployed.
Global exporter Li & Fung, which supplies retailers such as Kohl's Corp
and Wal-Mart Stores with clothing, toys and other products, said it had
suspended production in Vietnam.
Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings, a Taiwan manufacturer with headquarters in Hong
Kong, also suspended production. It makes footwear for firms including Nike and
Adidas.
Vietnamese Internet users have questioned the motivation and impact of the
rioting.
"Young people should be more cautious and avoid being used by bad people. The
(foreign) companies have brought jobs — what is wrong with them?" a netizen
nicknamed muoihcm commented in the VnExpress report.
The Vietnamese government gave rare permission for the weekend protests,
which were enthusiastically covered by state media.
Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Research Center for Chinese Borderland
History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "It is
high-profile propaganda for the Vietnamese authorities and media regarding the
collision of ships in the South China Sea that enraged public opinion and
resulted in the riots.
"The incident will not only harm relations with China but also endanger
Vietnam's international image, especially as an investment and tourist
destination."
Xinhua contributed to this
story.