BEIJING, May 16 -- Vietnam should realize it cannot afford enmity against foreigners in the country who are indispensable sources of capital to its foreign-investment-reliant economy.

The riots in Vietnam's central Ha Tinh Province, which have left one Chinese national dead and 149 others injured, proved to be both inhumane and unwise -- Hanoi risks damaging its relations with neighbors, particularly China, and the image it strives to build as a welcoming investment destination if it fails to control them.

The violence, which came as Hanoi claimed its sovereignty had been infringed upon by the drilling of a Chinese oil rig in the South China Sea, targeted not only Chinese businesses, including those from Taiwan and Hong Kong, but also companies owned by nationals of the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Singapore.

About 400 factories have already been damaged in the attacks and 1,100 others have been shut down, forcing foreigners working in the country to flee or seek refuge.

Whatever patriotic or political intentions drove the rioters to the streets, in the end, they should be mindful that China, together with the ROK and Japan, are the largest sources of foreign direct investment to Vietnam.

When foreign capital does pull out of the country, it is the Vietnamese economy and the lives of the people there that will be affected the most.

After all, industrial output from foreign-owned businesses has been growing, and accounted for nearly half of the country's overall industrial output in 2012.

Only by immediately stopping the violence and bringing the criminals to justice can Hanoi gradually restore foreigners' confidence in the country.

If the Vietnamese believe they have territorial disputes with neighboring countries like China, they should resort to diplomatic dialogues to resolve the issue. Targeting civilians makes no sense.

China and Vietnam, sharing a border thousands of kilometers long on land and at sea, have a millennium-old history of interaction with ups and downs. But at no point in this timeline has hostility done any good.

If Vietnam insists it knows history, it should remember this.