China and Vietnam pledged yesterday to resolve the territorial disputes over the South China Sea through peaceful negotiations, Beijing said following their first high-level talks since the long-standing maritime disagreement took a nosedive last month.
Analysts said it was a sign that the increased tension over the potentially natural resources-rich waters was easing, although one said it did not represent any key breakthrough.
The apparent friendly gesture between the bickering neighbours also came as the United States called for Beijing to help lower the temperature and as Vietnamese protesters marched through the streets of the capital, Hanoi, for a fourth straight week against Beijing's attitude in the disputes.
State Councillor Dai Bingguo, China's top diplomat, and Vietnamese deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son - also a special envoy sent by Hanoi - held talks in Beijing on Saturday after Ho met his Chinese counterpart, Zhang Zhijun, according to a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry's website yesterday.