Point taken regarding the "teach a lesson" remark. The author fails to specify who quoted that remark. But the sources clearly point out how Vietnam has systematically been arm-twisted by China. Some more insight --
And various media outlets have clearly pointed out that China "warned" or "threatened" foreign companies from operating in South China Sea and not merely just "protested".
Avoiding a Tempest in the South China Sea - Council on Foreign Relations
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Wasn't China's initial alliance with North Korea during the Korean War based purely on mutual ideological agreement? And what was that ideological agreement - Communism, right? I might be wrong in my assessment and there might be factors other than communist solidarity and hatred towards democracies driving Sino-North Korean relations.
Also, the treaty is very much in effect, was renewed in 2001 and is in effect till 2021.
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Lastly, there might not be anything wrong with the treaty technically. However, China's rather ambiguous role in the entire Korean dispute surely creates doubts. On one hand it strongly (and rightfully) condemns North Korean nuclear tests, but on the other hand, there are reports of Chinese assistance in North Korean missile development program (as per the source earlier provided) and facilitation of North Korean arms exports. Couple that with the fact that China was rather muted in its response to the South Korea's Cheonan ship sinking incident.
Gates prods China on North Korea, military ties to US | Home >> Other Sections >> Breaking News
Regarding sources for China-North Korea military partnership -
North Korea and China Still Friends: Kim Visits Twice | Opinion | Epoch Times
Report: China, Iran, North Korea have formed strategic alliance
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Media reports specify that the Chunxiao gas field is directly linked to the Senkaku Islands and that was the basis of my assertion.
Senkaku / Diaoyutai Islands
Kuayue-2009: Shifts in PLA Military Planning? - The Jamestown Foundation[tt_news]=4968&tx_ttnews[backPid]=168&no_cache=1
As per my understanding of the above text, Japan stakes claim over the Chunxiao gas field on the basis of its sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands and your assertion that "falls entirely within Chinese EEZ, not even Japan is disputing that" and "[the field] has nothing to do with Diaoyutai dispute" seems to be a whole lot of fiction.
And again, holding on to one specific detail of my assertion and trying to prove it wrong might be another diversion tactic. As I have pointed out earlier, the most important point here is the fact that Japan and China had agreed to jointly develop the concerned gas field but China unilaterally undertakes drilling operations and purposely postpones further negotiations.
Factbox: Ties and tensions between China and Japan | Reuters