Hundreds of Vietnamese demonstrated in front of the Chinese Embassy in Austria on May 18 to protest China’s deployment of an oil rig inside Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The Vietnamese community in Austria strongly condemned China’s expansionism, which has led to an escalation in tensions between the two countries, and threatened peace and stability in the region.

The protest remained peaceful as demonstrators sang the Vietnamese national anthem and held signs with slogans such as "China should withdraw oil rig now" and "China, don't add fuel to the fire". Their intention was send a clear message of the need for non-violent, peaceful dialogue to settle the dispute in accordance with international law.

The foreign minister of Singapore commented that, “China’s rapid rise has already changed the dynamics of the region and its tactic have shown an intention to aggressively change the regional landscape. It is time for neighbours like Vietnam and other South East Asian countries to join together in peaceful protest and make sure our voices are heard."

As Vienna is host to a large number international institutions, Vietnamese people in Austria plan to undertake a campaign calling for support from international allies to voice their objections to China’s wrongful actions. Other campaigns will be launched to boycott Chinese products and to raise funds to send Vietnamese marine units to the Paracel and Spratly Islands.

Some more photos of the protest: