Vietnam to run disputed island tours

Vietnam is risking a clash with China and other neighbours after announcing plans to give tourists the chance to visit the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

It is planning to run tours from mid-April.

The islands - 450 kilometres off Vietnam's south-eastern coast - are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas reserves.

They are a source of regional tension and claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Taiwan.

"The first tour is a trial run. If it works out, we will continue to offer the trips," said Tran Son Hai, director of the tourism department of Khanh Hoa province, which administers Vietnam's presence on the Spratlys.

Spratly Islands 100 tiny atolls Spread over 410,000 sq km Believed rich in oil & gas Disputed sovereignty

Both the Economic Department and the Defence Ministry will be responsible for the visits.

There have been a series of scraps, particularly between China and Vietnam, over the Spratlys in recent years.

Both countries are among five nations which have military garrisons on the islands.

In November 2002, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) signed a treaty with China calling on the various claimants to avoid action which could heighten tension.