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  • Tensions Rise in South China Sea as Vietnam announces live fire drills.

    BBC News - Vietnam plans live-fire drill amid South China Sea row


    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".

    'Premeditated'
    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.
    Related. BBC News - Vietnam and China hackers escalate Spratly Islands row

    Computer hackers from Vietnam and China have attacked websites including portals run by each other's governments, amid a sea-border row.

    The hackers replaced content on the sites with abuse and national symbols.

    Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said his country's claims to territory in the South China Sea were incontestable.

    Chinese officials later warned other Asian nations to halt exploration for minerals in the area.

    Both sides claim ownership of islands in the South China Sea.

    The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims in the area.

    'Strong determination'
    On the weekend, hundreds of Vietnamese protested against Chinese naval operations in disputed waters.

    Relations between Vietnam and China have long been awkward, but public protests are extremely rare.

    The demonstrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City followed a confrontation between a Vietnamese ship and Chinese patrol boats last month.

    Hanoi accused a Chinese patrol of cutting the cables of a Vietnamese ship conducting seismic research about 120km (80 miles) off Vietnam's coast.

    At the time of the incident, China said that Vietnamese vessels had been operating "illegally", adding that the country should "refrain from creating trouble".

    On Thursday, Prime Minister Dung made his first comments on the row, saying Vietnam's sovereignty was incontestable in areas of the Paracel and Spratly island groups.

    "We continue to affirm strongly and to manifest the strongest determination of all the party, of all the people and of all the army in protecting Vietnamese sovereignty in maritime zones and islands of the country," Mr Dung said in comments reported by the Thanh Nien newspaper.

    Later, Vietnamese officials accused a Chinese fishing boat of once again intentionally ramming cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone.

    And separately, China's ambassador to the Philippines, Liu Jianchao, warned other countries to stop prospecting for oil in the area.

    The disputed islands are largely uninhabited, but the area includes important shipping routes and may contain oil and gas deposits.
    What would the U.S do if disputes burst into skirmishes or open conflict? Considering the vast supply of natural gas and oil in the region, would America step in were a Chinese-Vietnamese row to escalate?
    "Who says organization, says oligarchy"

  • #2
    Russian submarines for self-defence: Vietnam


    Jun 5, 2011
    Russian submarines for self-defence: Vietnam
    Vietnam said on Sunday six Kilo class diesel-powered submarines that it was buying from Russia would be used only for self-defence. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

    SINGAPORE - VIETNAM said on Sunday six Kilo class diesel-powered submarines that it was buying from Russia would be used only for self-defence.

    'We regard this as a normal activity for the People's Army of Vietnam,' Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh told the Shangri-La Security Meeting in Singapore.

    'That is to defend (the country) and take part in national construction. Vietnam's policy is completely for self defence and we would never compromise any other country's sovereignty.

    But we must deter anyone who tries to compromise Vietnam's sovereignty.' The submarine deal, signed in 2009, is worth US$3.2 billion (S$3.9 billion), according to Russian media.

    Vietnam is one of the claimants to the oil-rich Spratly islands in the South China Sea, along with Malaysia, Taiwan, China, the Philippines and Brunei.

    The People's Army daily, run by Vietnam's Defence Ministry, said Thanh expressed concern to his Chinese counterpart, Liang Guanglie, at the Singapore meeting about an incident last week in which three Chinese patrol boats challenged a Vietnamese oil exploration ship in the South China Sea. -- REUTERS

    Comment


    • #3
      Senator Webb: China’s Repeated Use of Force in South China Sea a “Grave Concern”

      Press Releases
      Senator Webb: China’s Repeated Use of Force in South China Sea a “Grave Concern”

      Will introduce Senate Resolution Monday

      June 10, 2011

      Senator Jim Webb, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, today expressed “grave concerns” over the repeated use of force by China to assert maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea.

      “Officials at the Department of State and U.S. Pacific Command have indicated that on June 9 three Chinese maritime security vessels ran into and disabled the cables of a Vietnamese exploration ship, the Viking 2, in an area within 200 nautical miles of Vietnam’s continental shelf,” said Senator Webb. “This followed similar incidents on May 26 near Vietnam and in March near the Philippines, as well as incidents at sea last year in the Senkaku Islands, which are under the Administration of Japan.

      “China’s pattern of intimidation is a grave concern. The U.S. has a clear strategic interest in facilitating a multilateral, peaceful approach toward resolving these disputes and ensuring open access for commerce and adherence to international law.”

      Senator Webb will introduce a Senate resolution on Monday condemning the use of force by China in the South China Sea and calling for a peaceful, multilateral resolution to maritime territorial disputes in Southeast Asia. Senator Webb has expressed concerns over sovereignty issues in this region for more than fifteen years in and out of office. His first hearing upon assuming chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee was on maritime territorial disputes and sovereignty issues in Asia in July 2009.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Wayfarer View Post
        What would the U.S do if disputes burst into skirmishes or open conflict? Considering the vast supply of natural gas and oil in the region, would America step in were a Chinese-Vietnamese row to escalate?
        We will know official US government point of view soon but my opinion is USA should not play any part in the conflict. The Navy should be there to evacuate US citizens, protect the shipping route and make both sides more cautious but at the same time, should avoid any serious confrontation with PLAN.
        Gas and oil will be still there. There is always a way to deal with the winner.

        Comment


        • #5
          US has continued to call for a "code of conduct", I think it is best way to reduce incidents.
          “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by xinhui View Post
            US has continued to call for a "code of conduct", I think it is best way to reduce incidents.
            The title is easy to write but how could they write the content if they can not even agree what is the boundary of "dispute area" where to apply that code?

            Comment


            • #7
              Formation of Osa missile boats moving to drill area. Very less impressing.
              Attached Files

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by hanswu25 View Post
                The title is easy to write but how could they write the content if they can not even agree what is the boundary of "dispute area" where to apply that code?
                ignore the boundary for a starter, work on a mechanism for communications. Meeting in Singapore is a good place to build on.

                IMHO
                “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

                Comment


                • #9
                  How much gas and oil is there in the disputed areas anyways? I believe a Chinese survey from the 1980s claimed a 100 billion barrels of oil (didn't say how economical recovery was), but I must confess to a healthy amount of skepticism towards that estimate.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Skywatcher

                    you actually believe this is still about oil?
                    “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by xinhui View Post
                      Skywatcher

                      you actually believe this is still about oil?
                      What else is there in the region that would prompt both sides to get equally touchy about?
                      "Who says organization, says oligarchy"

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Wayfarer View Post
                        What else is there in the region that would prompt both sides to get equally touchy about?
                        National pride.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by xinhui View Post
                          Skywatcher

                          you actually believe this is still about oil?
                          No, I was just annoyed by how all the news articles kept on pushing the fossil fuel angle well out of proportion.

                          SLOC seem much more likely strategic considerations.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Skywatcher View Post
                            No, I was just annoyed by how all the news articles kept on pushing the fossil fuel angle well out of proportion.

                            SLOC seem much more likely strategic considerations.
                            What is SLOC?
                            "Who says organization, says oligarchy"

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Strategic lines of communication, I reckon.
                              I enjoy being wrong too much to change my mind.

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