Vietnam said on Thursday it had introduced new rules requiring visiting foreign warships and their crews to respect its sovereignty, independence and national laws.
An announcement in the official Communist Party mouthpiece, the Nhan Dan daily, said the new regulations required foreign navies to arrange visits through diplomatic channels.Their vessels would be required to follow instructions from Vietnamese port authorities, and captains would be held responsible for the activities of crew members.
It did not elaborate, and the reasons behind the new rules were not explained.