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At issue is whether the Chinese-made phones come with preinstalled navigation apps that use maps reflecting Chinese territorial claims rejected by Hanoi, such as the expansive nine-dash line claims in the South China Sea that overlap resource-rich maritime areas Vietnam says are within in its exclusive economic waters.
The US has said the area under dispute could contain oil and gas reserves worth US$2.5 trillion.
Vietnam has been the most aggressive Southeast Asian nation pushing back on Chinese maritime claims.
Its ships directly confront Chinese vessels off its coast in disputed territorial waters and the government bans and removing products that reference China’s controversial claims to large swaths of the South China Sea, from T-shirts worn by tourists to Hollywood movies.
Vietnam last week seized all seven car models from China’s Hanteng Autos for using the disputed map, the newspaper reported yesterday, citing Vietnam Customs Head Nguyen Van Can.
Earlier, Vietnam said it would penalise Volkswagen AG’s local distributor and an importer for displaying a Touareg CR745J car at a motor show last month that featured the nine-dash line in the navigation map.
The country also recently blocked screening of Dreamworks Animation movie “Abominable,” co-produced with a Chinese company, that included a scene showing the nine-dash line.
Vietnam Customs will send instructions to its local branches soon, the newspaper said. The agency, which typically responds only to formal requests made on paper, did not immediately respond to a request for comment via phone.
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