Vietnam said the move 'resolutely opposes all activities that violate its sovereignty'.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang told a press conference in Hanoi as quoted as saying by The Diplomat that Beijing and Manila were “violating the sovereign rights and jurisdictions of Vietnam.”

She said, “Vietnam has and is taking appropriate measures, which comply with international law, to ensure our legitimate rights and interests.”

The comments came after Chinese and Vietnamese vessels confronted each other on multiple occasions this week, after a Chinese research ship entered Hanoi’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to conduct a survey, the news portal reported.