In the past few days, serious violent incidents of beating, smashing, looting and burning targeted at foreign investors and enterprises occurred in Vietnam, in which some Chinese enterprises and staff including those from Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan, as well as enterprises from Singapore and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have sustained damages to various degrees, causing casualties and loss of property. According to the initial verification, the incidents have left one Chinese citizen dead and over a hundred people injured.

In the evening of May 15, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held an urgent phone conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh of Vietnam over the incidents, and strongly condemned the Vietnamese side and lodged a solemn protest on behalf of the Chinese government.

Wang Yi said that Vietnam has an inescapable responsibility for the violent attacks of lawbreakers against Chinese enterprises and staff. China solemnly urges Vietnam to immediately take resolute and effective measures to end all the violence and ensure the safety of lives and properties of all the Chinese enterprise and staff in Vietnam; to immediately and properly settle the Chinese enterprises and staff suffered the attacks and make every effort to rescue the wounded; to immediately carry out investigation on the relevant violent incidents, severely punish all the perpetrators by law and compensate the Chinese enterprises and individuals for all the losses.

Pham Binh Minh expressed that Vietnam pays high attention to the current situation and has arrested over a thousand suspects and the perpetrators will be severely punished. The Vietnamese side will take all the necessary measures to protect the safety of lives and properties of Chinese personnel and institutions in Vietnam. The situation has become stable now.

On that afternoon, Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin urgently summoned Vietnamese Ambassador to China Nguyen Van Tho by order, lodged a solemn representation and urged the Vietnamese side to take immediate, practical and effective measures to resolutely stop and severely punish the criminal behaviors, ensuring the safety and rights of the Chinese citizens in Vietnam.

On the same day, the Chinese government urgently sent a trans-departmental working group led by Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao to Vietnam to carry out work.