China holds live-fire exercises in Gulf of Tonkin days after Vietnam maps new territory

China’s military has started live-fire exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin – after Vietnam published a map defining what it considers its territory in the body of water between the two countries. Vietnam’s foreign ministry announced the baseline – used to determine limits to territorial waters and exclusive economic zones – on Friday, saying it was to help protect and enforce its sovereign rights. China’s Maritime Safety Administration said the live-fire exercises would be focused on the Beibu Gulf area, closer to the Chinese side of the Gulf of Tonkin, and would run through to Thursday evening. Vietnam has not…