Vietnam denounced the stationing of the drilling rig as illegal and demanded its withdrawal. In addition Vietnam claimed that the rig's area of operation was within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as measured from its coastline; it also reasserted its claim of sovereignty to both the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos. Vietnam further accused China of using force against its ships in the waters near the Paracel archipelago and of arresting Vietnamese fishermen. It repeatedly requested negotiations and kept up diplomatic pressure on China through bilateral channels as well as by attempts to gain international support for its position not only on the issue of the drilling rig, but also more broadly relating to the status of the Paracel archipelago. China's position was that the drilling operation was carried out "totally within waters off China's Xisha islands," the Chinese name for the Paracels, China also reiterated its position that the islands are Chinese temitory and that there is no dispute related to them. China accused Vietnam of trying to disrupt the drilling operations and demanded that Vietnam cease such activities and withdraws its vessels from the area. In mid-May, China sought to deflect attention to the "anti China" riots in south and central Vietnam targeting companies operated by East Asian investors and which resulted in several Chinese casualties. In response to Vietnam's active attempts to gain international support for its position, China eventually publicized its official stand on the drilling operation and the status of the Xisha islands on 8 June.