| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Vietnam Now Pushing Back Against China's Maritime Ambitions |
| 2011-06-10 |
| Vietnam has said it will hold live-fire exercises in the South China Sea amid escalating tensions with China over disputed waters. Vietnam warned vessels to stay out of the area off its central coast when it conducts the drills on Monday. It follows a verbal clash with China over sovereignty in the area. China reacted angrily after Vietnam said a Chinese fishing boat rammed cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone. Beijing said Chinese fishing boats were chased away by armed Vietnamese ships in the incident on Thursday. One of the Chinese boats became tangled with the cables of a Vietnamese oil exploring vessel, which continued to drag the Chinese vessel for more than an hour before the net had to be cut, the foreign ministry said. China accused Vietnam of "gravely violating" its sovereignty, saying Vietnam's actions had endangered Chinese sailors' lives, and warned it to stop "all invasive activities". Beijing's strong-worded statement followed Vietnam's accusation that a Chinese fishing boat had "intentionally rammed" the exploration cables of a Vietnamese boat - the second such incident in two weeks. Vietnam said the "premeditated and carefully calculated" attack was part of China's attempts to control disputed waters. Vietnam now says it will stage live ammunition drills on Monday in an area off central Quang Nam province. The announcement was made on Friday on the website of the state-owned Northern Maritime Safety Co-operation, warning all vessels to avoid the area. It said the decision to hold the exercises was taken on 7 June. China is engaged in maritime border disputes with several countries. The South China Sea includes important shipping routes and may contain rich oil and gas deposits. The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area. The US has also expressed concern about China's rising naval ambitions. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #12 Spratleys |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2011-06-10 23:40 |
| #11 * CHINESE MIL FORUM POSTER > argues that Sino-Viet row is an attempt by Vitenam to divert attention away from its econ woes, i.e. double-digit inflation, huge budget deficits, + declining "DOng" currency, + that CHINA should stop any + all investments in Vietnam??? versus * PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > CHINESE FLEET[PLA drill = training] CROSSES JAPANESE FIRST ISLAND CHAIN! * SAME > JAPAN'S ALLERGIC [allergy] TO PLA NAVAL DRILL IN WESTERN PACIFIC [late June] UN-NECESSARY. * DAILY TIMES.PK > [US]PENTAGON DETAILS [manning/crew-optional] NEW NUCLEAR BOMBER. Wehell, all thing equal, during the Cold War CUBA + UNCLE FIDEL had the Soviets + Commie Bloc - in the 21st Century, GUAM-CNMI-WESTPAC HAS AMBITIOUS, POST-US? RISING CHINA + now RISING NUCLEAR RADIC ISLAMISM??? GUAM SELF-DTERMINATION = still the 1990's so-called "GUANTANAMO/CUBA MODEL"??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-06-10 22:36 |
| #10 Maybe Vietnam will try and take back the Paracels |
| Posted by: phil_b 2011-06-10 20:48 |
| #9 See also DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > VIETNAM ACCUSES CHINA OF HARASSING ANOTHER [Survey]BOAT. * SAME > VIETNAM URGED [by China] TO HALT VOLATILE ACTS AGZ CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY IN NANSHAS [Paracel Islands] + SURROUNDING WATERS. * CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > VIETNAM'S TOP LEADERS ADD FIRE TO SOUTH CHINA SEAS DISPUTE, agz China. Vietnam willing to do Any + All things necessary, includ Military means, to defend its SCS interests. * SAME > VIETNAMESE, CHINESE HACKERS ESCALATE SPRATLY'S ROW. * SAME > {Poster]CHINA-VERSUS-PHILIPPINES IS [mainland]CHINESE-VERSUS-OVERSEAS-CHINESE!? Ungrateful relatives = descendants. FYI Philippine Mil Chiefs have argued that their country's armed forces is still too weak to challenge China's claims oer the Spratleys, etc. - CHINA IS ESSENS CLAIMING EVERY ISLAND GROUP + OCEAN AREA IN THE SCS JUST OFF THE COASTLINES OF VARIOUS REGIONAL NATIONS, FROM TAWIAN TO PHIL TO THE MALACCAS = TIP OF THAILAND, albeit China admits that AT THIS TIME ONLY that it may not be able to effec defend via military means [milfor = power projection]every inch of its SCS claims. IN CHINA'S VIEW, THE OFFSHORE EEZ-SEZ [Air-Sea-Space]OF EVERY SOVEREIGN COUNTRY SURROUNDING THE SCS PROPER IS CHINA'S ANCESTRAL/HISTORICAL + SOVEREIGN TERRITORY. But China infers that they will be able to militarily defend the whole of their SCS domains one day. FYI again, as per PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM = CHINA is planning to hold PLAN drills in international waters in WESTPAC, i.e. near GUAM-CNMI. As said before its no longer just US-VS-RISING-CHINA in East Asia/Asia + Pacific, but US-VS-RISING-CHINA-VS-RISING-NUCLEAR-ISLAMISM [OWG-NWO Nuke "Caliphate"]. ANTI-US COMMIES-N-RADICAL ISLAM NOW = devol into ANTI-US COMMIES-VERSUS-NUCLEAR-RADICAL ISLAM IN FUTURE. Nuclear Underworld = Nuclear Mafias-Syndicates = NUCLEAR NON-STATE ACTORS/NGOS/PROXY GROUPS??? Again again, China + PLA's primary focii is milpol breaking thru the First Island Chain in WESTPAC, etc. vee the strategic Air-Sea [Space?]corridors of the "DRAGON TRIANGLE", i.e. agz US Milbases in ROK + Japan [Taiwan] at one end, + Guam-CNMI barrier at the other end. WHICH BY DEFINITION INFERS THAT THE [allegedly weakening]POST-GWOT US WON'T BE THERE, I.E. CAN'T OR WON'T MILPOL OPPOSE, CHINA'S NEW POWER + INFLUENCE IN SAME. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-06-10 20:30 |
| #8 Might be nice to see Saigon again. Ho Chi Minh City, not so much. |
| Posted by: kelly 2011-06-10 19:49 |
| #7 China reacted angrily after Vietnam said a Chinese fishing boat rammed cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone. Beijing said Chinese fishing boats were chased away by armed Vietnamese ships in the incident on Thursday. More and more, my impression is that some of these Chinese fishing boats aren't manned by fishermen, and that for these boat personnel, fishing is just a hobby. The question is whether they're coast guard or navy. Or just paramilitary toughs hired for plausible deniability. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2011-06-10 18:14 |
| #6 The skyline in Saigon looks like Houston. |
| Posted by: bman 2011-06-10 16:33 |
| #5 Bases in Vietnam? That would be delicious. |
| Posted by: kelly 2011-06-10 15:50 |
| #4 Vietnam has actually become very pro American in the past decade. We have strengthened economic ties and Vietnam see us as a counter to an aggressive China. China has allies with Laos and Cambodia and the Vietnamese are feeling increasingly isolated and are turning toward the west for help. For me, it is a win-win situation. We can gain ports and bases in the area to further counter Chinese aggression and develop economic ties with a former rival. Also note, that bases in Vietnam would help go after some radical Islamic groups in Indonesia and Southern Burma via special operation groups. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2011-06-10 14:45 |
| #3 Been fighting each other, off and on, for the better part of a thousand years, folks. |
| Posted by: mojo 2011-06-10 14:18 |
| #2 As I understand it, we're already back in Cam Ranh Bay, Steve. In a minor sort of way, as of October of last year... |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2011-06-10 13:26 |
| #1 Perhaps it's time to bury the hatchet with the Vietnamese. Perhaps they'd want us back in Danang... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-06-10 13:06 |
