China wants to ban fishing in disputed waters and Vietnam is angry

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam said it resolutely opposes a Chinese ban on all fishing activities in a sea area that covers the Gulf of Tonkin, claiming the act to be a "worthless decision".

The ban on all fishing activities between May 16 and August 1 violates international law and Vietnam's sovereignty and jurisdictional rights, said a statement on the foreign ministry website late on Saturday.

China's move came as the two neighbors seek to patch up ties since a bilateral row erupted in May last year when China deployed a $1-billion oil rig in waters claimed by Vietnam. That lead to confrontation at sea between rival vessels and violent anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam.

Beijing claims more than 90 percent of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, displaying its reach on official maps with a line that stretches deep into Southeast Asia.

It has recently stepped up its efforts to build up islands on shallow reefs in the disputed area.

Recently released satellite images show Vietnam has also carried out significant land reclamation at two sites in the disputed South China Sea, though the scale and pace of the work is dwarfed by that of China.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims on the sea.

(Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Tom Heneghan)