China's authoritative official news agency Xinhua,  reported on recent comments by Vietnam's three top leaders. Observing that Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, said at a gathering of his voters on Vietnam's relationship with China, that Vietnam "should get ready for all possibilities" if forced into a war, it pointed out that at the same time Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung instructed the government to prepare for the “tough economic situation” that may result from the “challenging relationship with China.” The Xinhua despatch added that not long ago, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang also stated that Vietnam would like to take legal actions against China. Xinhua commented that it is very clear now that all three top leaders in the Vietnamese political system have expressed their strong position in the conflict with China. The Vietnamese government has called for an independent economy and an international trade position. It also asked the people to have a “clear understanding of the position of the United States.”