Article

2011-06-10 Southeast Asia

Vietnam Now Pushing Back Against China's Maritime Ambitions

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Anonymoose 2011-06-10 11:30|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#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|| 2011-06-10 13:06|| Front Page Top

#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|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/ 2011-06-10 13:26|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-06-10 14:18|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-06-10 14:45|| Front Page Top

#5 Bases in Vietnam?

That would be delicious.

Posted by kelly 2011-06-10 15:50|| 2011-06-10 15:50|| Front Page Top

#6 The skyline in Saigon looks like Houston.

Posted by bman 2011-06-10 16:33|| 2011-06-10 16:33|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-06-10 18:14|| Front Page Top

#8 Might be nice to see Saigon again.

Ho Chi Minh City, not so much.

Posted by kelly 2011-06-10 19:49|| 2011-06-10 19:49|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-06-10 20:30|| Front Page Top

#10 Maybe Vietnam will try and take back the Paracels

Posted by phil_b 2011-06-10 20:48|| 2011-06-10 20:48|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2011-06-10 22:36|| Front Page Top

#12 Spratleys

Posted by OldSpook 2011-06-10 23:40|| 2011-06-10 23:40|| Front Page Top

23:40 OldSpook
22:40 JosephMendiola
22:36 JosephMendiola
22:35 Dale
22:22 JosephMendiola
22:09 JosephMendiola
21:50 Jack Salami
21:10 Barbara Skolaut
21:00 N. Buonaparte
20:59 Frank G
20:49 JosephMendiola
20:48 phil_b
20:42 JosephMendiola
20:40 phil_b
20:37 Zhang Fei
20:30 JosephMendiola
20:23 Zhang Fei
20:06 Procopius2k
19:49 kelly
19:36 Charles
19:34 Charles
19:26 JohnQC
19:13 trojan 3341
19:11 JohnQC