【明報專訊】THE OUTBURST of anti-Chinese sentiments in Vietnam was triggered by a Chinese rig drilling for oil in waters near the Paracel Islands. A large number of Vietnamese law enforcement vessels, sent to stop the oil drilling operation, were confronted in force by their Chinese counterparts, and there were collisions between them. Public demonstrations in Vietnam demanding China's removal of the rig and the cessation of drilling activities have escalated into riots directed against Chinese-owned factories, no matter whether they are from mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. Vietnam's social regime is such that, without government connivance, public demonstrations and protests could not possibly have taken such a violent turn. It is likely that the Vietnamese authorities are fanning nationalist sentiments in order to put pressure on China.