Beijing sends ships to evacuate Chinese from Vietnam following deadly protests

BEIJING -- China is sending five ships to Vietnam to speed up the evacuation of its citizens following deadly anti-Chinese riots over Beijing's deployment of an oil rig in disputed waters.

The official Xinhua News Agency says that the first ship departed Sunday morning from the southern island of Hainan.

China's Foreign Ministry says more than 3,000 Chinese have already been evacuated from Vietnam following the riots this past week that left two Chinese dead and injured about 100 others.

Vietnam ordered a stop to anti-China protests and in the capital, Hanoi, on Sunday police pushed away a handful of protesters and journalists in front of the Chinese Embassy.

Vietnam has protested China's positioning of the oil rig in the South China Sea and has sent ships to confront China's vessels.

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  Vietnamese expatriates and Filipinos display placards as they join together in a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate at the financial district of Makati city to protest the recent moves by China to construct an oil rig near the Vietnamese-claimed Paracels off the contested Spratlys group of islands and shoals in the South China Sea on Friday, May 16, 2014. (AP / Bullit Marquez)