China has indeed exercised restraint, but Vietnam should never mistake it as a sign of weakness and underestimate Beijing's determination to defend its sovereign rights and interests.

If it continues to take provocative actions and call white black, Hanoi will reap what it has sown. In fact, Vietnam is already suffering the consequences of the anti-China rampage which has shaken investors' confidence in Vietnam and thus jeopardized the country's investment prospects. And Hanoi has no one but itself to blame for that, because it distorted the facts and sowed the seeds of irrational anti-China violence in the first place.

Counting on support from third parties, Vietnam continues to act provocatively. The United States Secretary of State John Kerry has even said that the recent Chinese moves in the contested waters were "provocative" and "aggressive".

Indeed, there have been provocative and aggressive moves in these waters in recent weeks, but China should by no means be the one to take the blame. Washington has committed a mistake by encouraging Hanoi and its reckless behaviors.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made an emergency call to his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh on May 15 condemning the riot. Wang said Vietnam bears unshirkable responsibilities for the violent attacks against Chinese companies and nationals, and he also urged for all-out efforts to treat the injured, harsh punishment of all perpetrators and compensation for companies and nationals.

To act as a responsible country, Vietnam should know better what to do: stop provoking and call off its self-victimization show sooner rather than later.

The author is deputy director of the China Institute of International Studies.

(China Daily 05/24/2014 page5)