The United States on Tuesday expressed concerned over an incident in the South China Sea between Vietnam and China. “The United States is concerned by reports of an incident between a Chinese vessel and a Vietnamese fishing boat that resulted in the Vietnamese boat catching fire," State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters. “As a pacific nation, the United States has a national interest in the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for international law, freedom of navigation, and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea," Ventrell added.
