Hanoi sends envoy to help mend China ties

A high-ranking Vietnamese official is to visit China as a special envoy, in a move observers say is part of measures taken by Hanoi to repair its relationship with Beijing.

A series of anti-China riots flared in Vietnam in May following operations by a Chinese oil rig in waters near Zhongjian Island in the South China Sea.

The riots dealt a heavy blow to Vietnam's international image and its appeal to international investors.