Posted on 06/23/2022 5:02:35 AM PDT by RomanSoldier19
Vietnam on Thursday (June 23) denounced China’s illegal military exercise in the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) archipelago as a serious violation of its sovereignty over the South China Sea Island chain.
The spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng made the remarks during a press briefing in Hanoi, in response to requests for a reaction to the announcement from China’s Hainan Province’s Department for Ocean Affairs about a June 19 drill in the waters off of Phú Lâm (Woody) Island, part of Hoàng Sa, which Vietnam claims as its own.
The military drill “goes against the spirit of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), complicates the situation, is not conducive to the ongoing negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and does not help the maintenance of peaceful, stable, and cooperative environment in the South China Sea,” Hằng said.
The spokesperson stressed that Vietnam strongly opposes these actions and demands that China respects Vietnam’s sovereignty and not repeat such actions.
(Excerpt) Read more at thestar.com.my ...
China claims the whole of the South China Sea, and no one is in a position to contest the issue. VN can get in line with the other countries protesting Chinese campaign for hegemony, and it will make no difference.
There is no honor among thieves.
The ancient land records stored at Hue prove that for centuries Viet Nam has claimed sovereignty to islands off its shore.
Japan certainly should be. They get all of their oil through there.
Vietnam needs to build a navy as China has done. Vietnam does not have a sea-faring tradition, but then China really doesn’t either.
Or, it can cut sweetheart deals with the US, UK and AUS for basing and build their navy up. Open trade for their products. Replace Chinese production for Vietnamese production.
All sorts of cards to be played.
China’s doing the same Rome did wonder if it will end up the same way?.
Regardless, territory belongs to whomever will either fight to take it or fight to defend it, just as was always the case going back the earliest day of getting access to the watering hole and hunting grounds.
There is no point in history where national borders are magically fixed and immutable.
If the people of southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan, and Philippines were smart, they’d build up their own military strength and form a defensive alliance that’s friendly with but not dependent upon the USA and Australia. New Zealand is useless in this regard.
exactly.
That alliance (SK, Japan & Philippines for starters) needs an over-the-horizon power to underwrite it and to provide strategic depth. Otherwise, China just picks them off 1 at a time.
It's far from ideal, but settling for "friendly" with USA and Aus is probably the best they can count on. Also, China is probably more of a cardboard tiger than we realize.
I thought more along the lines of their both being communist countries. Not even that type of solidarity prevents them from going after each other.
That’s already happening. I see Made in Vietnam on more and more stuff.
The Vietnamese people themselves are pro-capitalist. The government is Communist in Name only. And while they may still celebrate Ho Chi Minh, it’s more for defeating the French, while they downplay the fight against the US.
They know where their bread is buttered both from the standpoint of capital investment/foreign trade, and offsetting China. IIRC they’ve had a serious border skirmish with China more recently than their war with us. I think it was soon enough after we left that they bloodied China’s nose, probably a result of having some of the best light infantry in the world at that instant in time.
Vietnam also did the world a favor and took out Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, which also angered the ChiComs.
Be careful Xi. Sun Tzu says don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Imho, Vietnam and India will kick your ass, again.
5.56mm
Great point.
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