China Army Chief: Disputed Rig Operating in Chinese Waters

Chinese military chief General Fang Fenghui said on Thursday the drilling rig that has provoked riots in Vietnam is operating in China's territorial waters and will continue conducting its operations despite the violence.

Fang, speaking at a Pentagon news conference with top U.S. military officer General Martin Dempsey, said other countries in the region were provoking conflict in the South China Sea. He urged Washington to take an "objective view" about the situation, which he said was fueled by the U.S. military pivot to Asia.

(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Eric Beech)