China steps up war of words with Vietnam

Press, 15 July 1980, Page 8

China steps up war of words with Vietnam

NZPA-Reuter Peking . China yesterday continued 'ts stepped-up war of words' vith Vietnam. accusing; Hanoi of further provoca-! -.ions this month along their' common border. Peking and Hanoi have in-p creased their mutual accusa-p '.ions of border violations during the last fortnight after a period of relative quiet. The New China News' Agency listed a series of in-i cidents between July 4 and 9, including one in which two children of the Miao . minority nationality were . wounded in southern Yunnan province.

It said the three Miao children were tending cattle on

July 4 on a mountain slope, overlooking the . border! “when' Vietnamese troops' fired and wounded two ofj them." • ■ The other incidents ini Yunnan province and neigh-i ibouring Guanxi Zhuangl autonomous region included* shelling' attacks and whati

were apparently cross-border intelligency probes by the Vietnamese, according to the Chinese agency. ; Vietnam earlier called for [the resumption of border peace talks in Hanoi today, but a commentary carried by the Chinese News Agency three days ago said China would only agree to reopen the talks when Hanoi "shows a minimum of good faith”

I . anl ended its agressive ac-i I tivities. ! Agence France-Presse re-' ! ported from Hong Kong that; \ Vietnam at the week-end' again called on China to re-’i isume their peace talks in! I Hanoi today to diffuse thei 'mounting tension along their; i common border.

1 Radio Hanoi denied that increasing armed border incidents were provoked by the Vietnamese side and accused China of staging armed provocations. The radio said: “Peking is seeking an excuse to delay the third round of the Viet-nam-China talks, so as to continue its collusion with the United States and its hostile policy against Vietnam, and instigate Asian countries! to oppose Vietnam.” f