Up to 21 Dead, Doctor Says, As Anti-China Riots Spread in Vietnam

China tugged a massive drilling rig to the disputed waters in the South China Sea, which led to confrontations between Chinese and Vietnamese coast guard vessels. Peaceful protests deteriorated into riots and violence in Vietnam with thousands setting fire to foreign factories believing them to be Chinese-owned.More than 450 companies reported damage, despite Vietnam’s strict controls. Taiwanese bore the brunt of attacks, reports Reuters, even though Taiwan itself is also in dispute with China over territory and resistant to communist controls. More than 20 people died, and a huge Taiwanese steel project, under construction, was destroyed. “Although the two Communist neighbors have close economic and political ties, Vietnamese resentment against China runs deep, rooted in feelings of national pride and the struggle for independence after decades of war and more than 1,000 years of Chinese colonial rule that ended in the 10th century,” Reuters writes. Hundreds of Chinese have fled Vietnam. Vietnamese, like other emerging economies, express concerns about Chinese investment, exploitation, and failure to create jobs. – YaleGlobal