Foreign factories come under siege in Vietnam.

Thousands set fire to factories and rampaged industrial zones in protest against Chinese oil drilling in a part of the South China Sea claimed by Vietnam.

The brunt appears to have been borne by Taiwanese companies rioters mistook the firms for Chinese-owned ones.

Video shown earlier this week on Vietnamese TV shows tensions on the high seas as Chinese and Vietnamese ships exchange water-cannon fire near a Chinese oil rig.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, an area rich in energy deposits

Washington has described Beijing's actions in the region as "provocative".

At least one Taiwanese businessman has had enough. He fled Vietnam in disguise.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) TAIWANESE BUSINESSMAN, CHONG MING-CHENG, SAYING:

"All I can say is that I never felt so scared in my life. Last night I didn't sleep all night. I spent all night thinking about how to escape to the airport. I still have