China on Tuesday hit out at Vietnam for naming an official to run the disputed Paracel islands as it reasserted its claim to the potentially resource-rich chain in the South China Sea.
Hanoi, which also claims the islands, at the weekend named a "president" for a Vietnamese government body overseeing the disputed archipelago.
"China has indisputable sovereignty over the Xisha Islands and their adjacent waters," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement, referring to the Paracels by their Chinese name.
Jiang labelled Vietnam's move "illegal and invalid," adding that Beijing had lodged a formal complaint with authorities in Hanoi.
China has administered the Paracels, also claimed by Taiwan, since 1974 when its troops over-ran a South Vietnamese outpost shortly before the end of the Vietnam War.
The islands are considered strategic outposts with potentially vast oil and gas reserves, and rich fishing grounds.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
