Vietnam has raised the stakes a little more in its current row with China, calling on the United States and others to step in and help find some kind of resolution.
The request comes on the back of a number of confrontations over the past few weeks in the South China Sea, a region that’s hotly contested by the two, as well as several Southeast Asian countries. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand also claim various parts of the area, but it’s Vietnam’s claims of harassment by Chinese vessels that have been making headlines.
On Thursday, Vietnam claimed that Chinese boats had again trespassed into its territory, and it accused China of deliberately trying to cut undersea cables deployed by a ship hired by PetroVietnam. This is far from the first spat – as I noted here last year, Vietnam has been angered at the repeated detention of fishermen trawling near the disputed Paracel Islands, which Vietnam claims.
Reuters has a useful timeline of the recent tensions, to which should be added the new call by Vietnam for intervention by the international community. Bloomberg today quoted Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga as saying:
‘Maintaining peace, stability, security, and maritime safety in the Eastern Sea is the common interest of the countries inside and outside the region…Every effort by the international community in maintaining peace and stability in the Eastern Sea is welcome.’
This will, of course, be anathema to Beijing, which has resisted foreign involvement in territorial disputes. Indeed, China was angered by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s suggestion last July that the United States could be an intermediary.
Vietnam has pledged to undertake navy drills tomorrow, and meanwhile it has been tolerating rare demonstrations by hundreds of protesters angry at what they see as China’s violations of Vietnamese territory.
Writing here earlier this week, Huy Duong suggested that the best way for Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations to respond to what they see as an overbearing China will be for them to work together.
Will they? Minxin Pei has an interesting piece for us up today on the dispute – and what China should do to ease tensions. But I also asked Vietnam watcher Tran Huu Dung, a professor of economics at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, for his take.
‘It’s widely agreed among those who pay attention to the balance of powers in Southeast Asia that the only way for Vietnam, or any single country in the region, to push back China is to band together,’ he told me. ‘However, this would mean that the Vietnamese must recognize that they should also acknowledge the interests of other countries in the region. These interests may be different from theirs. A clearly stated, long-term regional policy incorporating these considerations hasn’t been offered by the Vietnamese.’
I also asked him for his view on the latest tensions between China and Vietnam, and how optimistic he is that future rows can be resolved peacefully.
‘The tension between Vietnam and China goes back thousands of years, and there’s no reason to expect that it will ever end. However, this doesn’t mean that the two countries can’t co-exist peacefully for a long period of time,’ he said. ‘This peaceful co-existence depends not only on the behaviour of the Chinese government, but also on how they perceive the weakness of the Vietnamese leadership. The recent incident could be looked at as a test of this leadership.’
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Jimmy Cracks Capricorns
Gee, I wonder who’s next in line to sell Vietnam billions in military hardware?
Frank
As long as Vietnam is a communist state, nobody in the free world will sell Vietnamese weapons.
Timur
Don’t be nuive. The west will send to anybody, when the time is right.
Timur
I should say “sell”
thu nguyen
Exactly. The US as well as other countries, Germany for example, won’t refuse money, even “dirty communist money”. I’m pretty sure they will sell weapons to all sides, though.
NAVYBOY
China is a powerful country with great ambition of taking over the world. Vietnam is just a step and stone process. If the United Nation doesnt step in, then it will start to conquer all of the countries in Asia. China already showed its aggression. UN better stop China now or its never.
Randy
Have you ever visited Vietnam lately? It’s just like the whole world is with Vietnam nowadays. You could see all kinds of Foreign tourists traveling and living in VN nowadays. Even some US veterans who fought in vn war frequently visit there and falling in love with the country and her people. Open your eyes in the China bully tactic and her expansionism. The West will be next after China success in her swallowing of Sout East Asia. Do not tell me, I didn’t warn you-From Canada-
le hung
tran huu dung doesn’t know viet nam history at all.he should look back to the Tran dynasty when the mongolian did almost the same thing as the chinese are doing now.”the weakness of leadership” as he said is a “wise leadership”as i say.if the war happens ,lot of Vietnamese will die , not tran huu dung who lives in us,sipping a beer and watch it on tv like watching the superbowl game
le hung
and i don’t understand why you ask tran huu dung ,an outsider.not only him but anyone who doesn’t live,contribute and die for Vietnam is outsider.he doesn’t understand vietnam culture of war.he himself is not a war strategist.it must be bad luck to give the fate of a country into the hand of someone like him.if he is that strong why he left viet nam,why doesn’t he come back to viet nam to fight together with the vietnamese.some quotes say :talk is easier than do.
ASEAN
What is wrong with you? Do you have nothing else to contribute to the discussion other than badmouthing THD without any evidences? Ever heard of “open mouth, insert foot?
John Chan
@ASEAN, “What is wrong with you? “ Can’t a Vietnamese who lives in Vietnam speak out for his nation? Can’t he point the fallacy is playing out here by the anti-China war merchants at the expenses of Vietnamese lives? And you don’t allow him to speak out? It seems you are caring more about your face and covering up your lies than revealing truth.
How can the West convince anybody about what they are preaching, democracy and human rights? You are displaying yourself naked in front of the public, there is no integrity, and morality in the blogger named ASEAN.
If there is a military conflict between Vietnam and China, all blood will be on your hand. You should be sent to international court for trail of war crimes.
It is you should learn “open mouth, insert foot.”
Observer
It is China that needs to be in front of the UN/World Court for crimes against humanity. The charges are for invading and colonizing sovereign nations such as Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and for repeat attemptings to invade Vietnam for several thousands years and still utterly fail.
Also China needs to be charged of pathetic fighting against much smaller nations such as Vietnam, Japan, Britain, Manchuria, Mongolia.
Verdicts = Guilty, Guilty, Absolutely Guilty.
Sinodefender
Japan… They pillaged, raped and conducted human experiments and now are denying them… China never invaded Japan unless you call Yuan emperors Chinese… Diaoyutai was never Japan’s to begin with same with Ryukyu… Diaoyutai was ceded in the treaty of Shimonseki so It should be returned China or Taiwan. Your image of Tibet is a fabrication by Western media… Tang princesses were married into the Tibetan court and under the Tang, Tibet was part of China… ditto with Qing. It was left alone due to Western intervention and it turned into a feudalistic society run my llamas and the bottom tier is the serfs and slaves… Ask any of those slaves what life was like after PLA reclaimed Tibet. Inner Mongolia had Han living their too how dare you proclaim that Han can’t settle anywhere.. Vietnam is guilty of robbing Champa of nowdays Southern Vietnam
Mike Powell
Whoa, wait a minute. What about U.S. continuous wars then? Don’t you think George W. Bush, Hank Paulson, Robert Gates should be trail as well?
Mike Powell
By the way, China don’t have any carrier yet to threat Britain. So don’t bring up an excuse that no one will buy.
thu nguyen
@Sinodefender: And you are sure that your image of Tibet is not fabricated by your government? Sure, every country does its share of horrible things. Thing is, today your country insists on continuing doing horrible things on a very large scale that affect a lot of people. OK, lets say thanks to your influence, Tang/Tibet region gets rid of slavery, that doesn’t mean if you leave them alone now, they will continue to practice that kind of thing (similarly, thanks to French and other Western people, we discovered something called democracy. It doesn’t mean we accepted being colonized by them or returned to being a backward monarchy when they left). And people from European royal families marry each other all the time, that doesn’t mean anything. Also under the Tang, Vietnam were considered a part of China too – you should be careful using that argument. Point is, Tang/Tibetan people are a proud people with their own unique culture who very much deserve their independence. I don’t understand common Chinese people really. How can forcibly destroying others’ cultures and independence benefit you? Well, it satisfies some leader’s thirst for power and enlarges your country (which is twisted by already twisted Confucianist ideas into being patriotism), but does it bring the common people ANYTHING? ANYTHING at all? With your population, Han people hardly have any real reason to be crushed and assimilated by other nations (have anyone in history managed that). Does stealing others’ natural resource really worth the price (both intangible and tangible) you and they have to pay for social security in the long run? Does enlarging a nation equal making its people a greater people, or does it mean that as an individual, your existence is actually becoming cheaper, more dispensable to your own leaders? Today many of your fellow Chinese people have a funny mental disease: thinking that their nation’s “greatness” somehow gives them the right to ridicule others just because their home countries are small. Self-masturbation at its best: one hides their own tiny, miserable self behind a big number!
If I don’t listen to my heart, I would say it’s better choose to be born in those tiny, miserable places that are named Switzerland, Norway, Singapore… if you can. Their people seem to have something more relevant when it comes to justifying their pride.
Talaial
I swear I’ve heard about a foreign country helping Vietnam before… right?
Frank
If Vietnam wants American’s help, they need give up communism first.
Leonard R.
“Jimmy Cracks Capricorns June 12, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Gee, I wonder who’s next in line to sell Vietnam billions in military hardware?”
***
That is a really clever screen name, “Jimmy Cracks Capricorns”.
Congratulations on that.
I wonder if Putin or Medvedev would be willing to invest in a time-share of beach-front property with the US in Danang or Cam Ranh.
John Chan
If you have Leonard R as a friend who needs enemy, Leonard is undermining USA all the time. Here is a proof again, he is teasing the US is broke that it even cannot afford a base in Danang or Cam Ranh alone. Leonard is also implying the US is so afraid of China, that US needs Russia’s support in order to go to Danang or Cam Ranh.
China Lee
Dummies’ guide to South China Sea sovereignty:
Who discovered Spratly and Paracel Islands a thousand years ago? China
The human remains of which country are found on South China Sea islands? China
The artifacts of which country are found on South China Sea islands? China
Which country has claimed South China Sea islands throughout dynasties? China
Vietnam Premier Pham Van Dong admitted which country owns South China Sea? China
This issue is crystal clear. China has sovereignty over South China Sea for a thousand years.
Ly Tran Le Nguyen
- A merchant ship capsized by storm during passage through the region doesn’t mean those on it discovered or owned that region. Such idiotic assertion would fail grade school geography class.
- Dropping dead bodies in someone else’s backyard doesn’t make it a right to invade their backyard. One cannot prove the original country of a dead person.
- The same goes for planting “artifacts”.
- There were no ancient Chinese claims on any part of the Southeast Asian Sea. They only exist in the mind of hawkish Chinese who fabricated “historical evidences” in order to justify invasion.
- The only thing “crystal clear” is the water of the Southeast Asian Sea, which for generations have been the living and working waters of fishermen in the region. Lately, those fishermen have been harassed, ransacked, robbed and otherwise threatened by Chinese warships disguised as marine surveillance ships.
Hoang Sa & Truong Sa belong to Vietnam!!!
a_canadian_observer
It is sad and shameful that a country as big as china has to disguise its military ships as marine surveilan ships to harash Vietnamese civillians.
Nguyen Le
China Lee, I don’t know why you keep bringing up Vietnam’s premier Pham Van Dong or any other Vietnamese. It doesn’t matter who they are, no one has the right to give a way a piece of Vietnam to China. And there is no evidence that China discovered or had claimed any of these islands in the past. In fact, there is no way that China can claim the entire Easter Sea (South China Sea). All the country in SE Asia and the international community will oppose any such claim. Han Chinese’s habit of claiming other people’s land as its own has to stop. Tibet does not belong to the Han, XinJiang does not belong to the Han, Inner Mongolia does not belong to the Han, Manchuria does not belong to the Han, and the Easter Sea is sure as heck does not belong to the Han.
a_canadian_observer
Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan didn’t belong to the Han either.
Henry Pham
That is your imagination, where is the evident with authority checked cos China is master of liers , rullers from China lie many thing, u can see they lie Chiness people in cultural revolution people die of hungry but they said they are gaining new level of success. Evidents and old documents with verification cos Chiness rullers are often liers
Observer
@ China Lee – speaking of dummies, look at yourself in the mirror, ok? You are the one that kept spewing the same old craps ALL over the internet and I mean everywhere with the same nonsense. Did you guys learn anything in school?
Thanh Phan
Le Hung, unfortunately, is the one should open his eyes wide and read a lot about the history and international conflicts, serious education. Arguments as yours is weak, divisive and nonsense at best and offers no constructive dialog to the current conflict between Vietnam and China. Your tunnel vison speech is typical of those party cadres.
One must recognize that “interpendence” or “codependence” are modern reality and a reflection of strength and weakness of each party nation.
An old vietnamese saying ” a frog sits a the bottom of a well thinks that the universe is as small as the top cover of the well.” To safeguard the integrity territorial and develop the nation, one cannot and must not just thump up the chest and be proud of himself alone. The 21 century is not as simple as some feel good slogans abundantly showed off at political rallys.
Tran Huu Dung is wise and correct when he said “A clearly stated, long-term regional policy incorporating these considerations (of other ASEAN nations) hasn’t been offered by the Vietnamese”. Vietnamese leadership cannot and must not show confusion to other nations how they deal with the Chinese’s agression. How would they command any help, or sympathy even when they cannot communicate what is their position?
Mike
Hey–I’m not taking a side here, but I wanted to let you know that that saying about the frog is actually a Chinese saying. It must have come into Vietnam when China held Northern Vietnam. :(
a_canadian_observer
No proof. It could well be that the chinese that stole the saying from the Vietnamese, like they did many other things.
Nguyen Le
Just because a Vietnamese person live abroad it does not mean he or she does not have the right to speak about Vietnam. Every year Vietnamese living abroad send back home billions of dollars, this source of income is very significant it almost make up for Vietnam’s trade deficit. Would you say these people don’t contribute to the strength of Vietnam? At it current state Vietnam needs all the help it can get I don’t think we should choke off any one voice at this point.
John Cahn
Le Hung is pleading Vietnamese in exile not to send Vietnamese in Vietnam to battle field as cannon fodder for their ego trip, there are better ways to resolve the disputes peacefully. The Vietnamese in exile like Thanh Phan and Nguyen Le not only do not listen to him, they force him to death because they have already paid their due to watch Vietnamese in Vietnam to die for their enjoyment.
This is totally insanity. Thanh Phan and Nguyen Le, please sign up with Vietnamese Navy right away and volunteer to South China Sea where the danger is, this is the only way to clear your name as slaughter.
a_canadian_observer
@John Chan: nice try exploiting some disagreement between some Viets. If China really has guts, try invading again and see what will happens.
Nguyen Le
The relationship between China and Vietnam has been this way for more than two thousand years. The historian Ngo Si Lien said “The strength of the North [China] and South [Vietnam] varies from time to time. When the North is weak then we are strong and when the North is strong then we are in a weak position. That is the nature of thing. The ruler of the country should organize the army, strengthen the means of war, prepare the troops to defend the country and treat the large and small foreign countries with proper respect. In time of peace teach the people ethic, moral and respect for the elders so that the people are willing to die for their leaders. When the threat of conquest is near then use diplomacy, try to bribe them off with treasures. If all effort to press for peace fails then man the wall fight the battle and swear to live and die with the country….” At the final analysis of the current state of affair I have these questions:
Is the current regime ruling Vietnam doing all it can to strengthen the country?
Is the current regime successful at teaching the people moral and ethic and proper respect for their elders and their country?
Will most people in Vietnam die to defend the current regime in time of hardship like they once did during the Vietnam war?
Will the leaders of the current regimes in Vietnam “man the war and fight the battle”?
Sadly, all objective observers will have to say that the answer to my question is “NO”. To use the words of the historian Ngo Si Lien to describe the current state of Vietnam “…the king is a coward, his military and civilian officials did not say a word regarding this matter. One can say there is no one in the country at that [this] time.”
berto
Sorry for Vietnam. I’m not Vietnamese, but I visited before. Very nice people and country. Hopefully, they’ll get help from U.S and Japan. I hope China will be embarrassed.
Frank
As long as Vietnam is a communist state, nobody in the free world will help Vietnamese.
megakids
The last time I check China is still a communist state, and she has the largest FDI for year and year….what’s your point?
China Lee
Vietnam Premier Pham Van Dong admitted China’s sovereignty over South China Sea territory.
The ownership of the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands is a settled issue. Vietnam’s Premier Pham Van Dong had agreed in a diplomatic document on September 14, 1958 that China owns the South China Sea.
http://paracelspratlyislands.blogspot.com/2008/01/history-of-sovereignty-dispute-between.html
“Truong Nhan Tuan: Yes. The famous one is the diplomatic note of Pham Van Dong, written on 14/9/1958 which admits the territorial waters declared by China a few days before. The Chinese declaration was that the archipelagos of Hoang Sa, Nam Sa, and Truong Sa belonged to China.”
http://www.enotes.com/vietnam-war-biographies/dong-pham-van
“Born March 1, 1906
Quang Ngai province, Vietnam
Premier of North Vietnam, 1955–75, and of the reunited Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 1975–86
Pham Van Dong served as the premier of North Vietnam both before and during the Vietnam War. He was recognized as one of three most powerful leaders of North Vietnam during these years, along with Ho Chi Minh (see entry) and General Vo Nguyen Giap (see entry). In fact, these three men were sometimes referred to as the “iron triangle.”
Liberty N
You know nothing about the international law, my poor commie! Before 1975, both the Spratly Islands and the Parcel Islands having belonged to the Republic of Vietnam ( the South Vietnam not the NVN!), then any settlement if any between NVN and Communist China at the time has been quite invalid legally! So better not mention any kind of such nonsense here!ASEAN members should bring the issue of south china sea and all the islet disputes before the UN and International Court of Justice for the fair resolution and settlement in addittion to their military readiness for any possible aggressive adventurous conduct of the PLA!
Nguy
RE:The ownership of the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands is a settled issue. Vietnam’s Premier Pham Van Dong had agreed in a diplomatic document on September 14, 1958 that China owns the South China Sea.
Yeah, The thugs planned on sharing the loot.
Frank
Question:
If one communist state kills another communist state, which one do you help?
Answer:
None. Let they kill each other.
lant
Oh please, Frank, do you even know what are the costs if a war is to come? People lives are also at risks here so no more nonsense. You should just keep your idiotic thoughts for yourself.
a_canadian_observer
@Frank: If China really has guts, try invading again and see what will happens.
Mike
To China Lee, those islands belong to the Government of South Vietnam when Premier Pham Van Dong of North made those claims with pressure from China. No Government, especially from communist country can give away Vietnamese territories. Can somebody give away your house that you own?
Furthermore, Mr. Pham regret that he made those comments to dirty China at his death bed.
dai nam
Viet Nam have been defeated super power countries in the world
Viet Nam has defeated Mongolia, China, French and United State of America.
This is the Fact as the world knows
If Viet Nam war against China???
Will Viet Nam win again ?
History repeat itself. (as chinese always believe this)
Mike Powell
This is pathetic, Vietnam is playing what some peoples called “9/11 cry baby”.
China may not the innocent party when comes to territorial disputes. But to openly invite an outsider that doesn’t know the situation from bottom up to help is just will end up in disaster. Haven’t those Vietnamese learned the mistake from Ho Chi Minh that once sided U.S. but end up being sidelined and later ignored?
Congratulation Vietnam, you just earned my disgust.
Randy
Within ASEANs, Vietnam is the nation who has been rivalry against China dated back for thousands of years. Vietnam understands China most and has been the most difficult obstacle in the face of China expansionism. Forget about USA help. USA had been there and without success. Without USA, during vn war, Vietnam still managed to win their war. Just remember, what …if Vietnam aligns with China…the whole South East Asia would become China backyard with no doubt. The way I see..as long as there is a nation named Vietnam in South East Asia, China evil expansionists should think twice about their expansionism. Vietnam will fight to the last man for their sovereignty I believe that and the world history eyewitnessed that. Go Vietnam, the world will be with you.
joe lord
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO IS GONNA TELL CHINA THAT THEY CANNOT HAVE THE CHINA SEA