Vietnam on Thursday called for the "immediate withdrawal" of a Chinese ship in the South
China Sea, as the standoff over the disputed waters intensified.
Beijing last week issued a new call for Hanoi to respect its claims to the resource-rich region -- which have historically been contested by Vietnam as well as Taiwan, the Philippines,
Malaysia and Brunei.
Hanoi responded by saying it had sent several messages to
Beijing insisting that a Chinese survey ship vacate its waters, and doubled down Thursday with new demands for the vessel's removal.