Full coverage: South China Sea Is Indisputable Part of China

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has stressed that his country is not pursuing a military build-up over the South China Sea, and that his country will seek only peaceful means to solve disputes.

Phuc, who took office last month, acknowledges that the situation in the South China Sea has recently grown more complicated. The prime minister also stressed that Vietnam needs regional friends and strategic partners to ensure there will be no disruption of maritime trade.

He said Vietnam's current priority is the management of its spiralling public debt, and keeping its annual GDP growth above six percent.