Voters in this northern port city have asked the Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, and National Assembly deputies, to take more resolute measures to get China to withdraw its oil rig from Vietnamese waters.

They also called for more promotional and communication work to expose China's acts and its apparent scheme to occupy the entire East Sea.

The voters said they fully supported Party and State policies in the struggle to protect Viet Nam's territory in the East Sea from encroachment.

However, they said this called for an increase in investment in modern equipment for law enforcement forces at sea.

Voters Vu Dinh Thao, Pham Tien Hien and Luong Cong Nho said Viet Nam's stand on the East Sea issue was crystal clear. They said the Party and State had responded in a way that was compatible with international law.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Viet Nam would not accept or yield to any imposition or threat.

The PM said China's illegal placement of oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Viet Nam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf since early May had impacts on the country's socio-economic development, negatively affecting Viet Nam-China relations and threatened peace, stability and security in the region.

However, with efforts made by the Party, army and people, the socio-economic situation reflected in the first half of the year continued to improve.

The PM said the Party and State were urgently preparing a legal dossier to take China's violations of international law to international jurisdiction.

He said the country would continue to try and ensure normal relations in all fields and promote economic, trade and investment co-operation with China in the interests of both sides.

Regarding socio-economic developments tasks for the second half of the year, PM Dung said the Government was determined to focus on removing difficulties for production and business activities, improve the investment environment and raise competitiveness of the economy.

On a different subject, voters said they wanted law enforcement to face stronger supervision and inspections.

They also called for more drastic measures against corruption and wastefulness.

Economic difficulties

On the same day, Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung met with voters in Ha Tinh Province's Huong Khe District, a mountainous district in the southwest of the province.

Voters expressed concerns over China's placement of the oil rig Haiyang-981 in Viet Nam's water. They made suggestions to enhance the country's economic and national defence capacity.

The NA leader said each voter had to try to maintain unity and creativity to overcome difficulties.

"We always want to develop peace and maintain the friendship between Viet Nam and China. But Viet Nam will never step back from any threat or acts that violate the country's sovereignty," Hung said.

Talking about economic difficulties, Hung said the country's economy had not developed sustainably, the rate of poor families was still high while the national defence capacity of the country was still modest.

The placement of the oil rig had created many difficulties for the fulfillment of the country's socio-economic plan, he said.

On the same day, the NA leader visited Ngan Truoi-Cam Trang Hydropower Plant in Vu Quang District in Ha Tinh Province.

The project started in June, 2009, with total investment of more than VND9 trillion (US$424 million), the hydropower plant had a reservoir capacity of 750 million cubic metres and a hydropower plant with a capacity of 16MW.

The hydropower reservoir is the third largest in the country, providing water for 32,500 hectares of farm land in eight districts.

VNS/VNN