A dispute is arising in Vietnam over China Mobile's provision of 4G services to a group of islands in disputed territory.
A spokesperson from Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has branded China Mobile's 4G services in the Paracel archipelago as “invalid,” Viet Nam Newsreported.
He said Vietnam's position is that it has indisputable sovereignty over the islands and that any activity undertaken by foreign governments or countries without the permission of the nation is wrong and invalid.
The spokesperson was responding to reports from Xinhua that China Mobile recently deployed a 4G base station on the archipelago's Linh Con island, and currently offers 4G services in that and six other islands.
China claimed permanent control of the Paracel islands following a naval battle in 1974, but following the reunification of Vietnam the Vietnamese government has repeatedly asserted its claim to the territory.
The dispute over ownership continues today, with tensions rising recently after China erected a deep water oil rig in waters claimed by Vietnam. This has led to protests in Vietnam, as well as confrontations between Vietnamese fishing boats and the Chinese navy.