South China Sea Forum

[Viet]

Chinese state vessels act increasingly aggressive, the modern pirates at Sea


Two Vietnamese fishing vessels attacked in Hoang Sa

Last update 14:03 | 11/07/2013 0 0

The damaged boat of Mr. Vuong


VietNamNet Bridge – A Chinese ship attacked two fishing boats from Ly Son island district, Quang Ngai province in the waters of Hoang Sa of Vietnam, causing losses of about $30,000.

After three days leaving the port of Ly Son to the sea of Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) to catch holothurians, at 7am on July 7, 15 fishermen on board of the fishing vessel QNg 96 787 of Mr. Vo Minh Vuong were unexpectedly attacked by sailors from a Chinese ship, No. 306, painted in white, with Chinese characters on the two broadsides.

Many people from the Chinese vessel penetrated into the Vietnamese fishing vessel and used knives to cut off 720m of gas wire into small pieces, robbed a lot of equipment, fishing tools, one ton of fish and 5,000 liters of diesel, totaling about VND400 million ($20,000).

Some Chinese men also used crowbars and hammers to smash the cabin windows abd used knives to chop down cabinet doors and the covers of the hold.

After the attack, Mr. Vuong’s boat was heavily damaged. Captain Vuong was also beaten with electric batons and fainted on board.

The same day, another fishing boat of Mr. Vai Van Cuong was also attacked and robbed by the Chinese ship No. 306 at 9am, with total losses of more than VND200 million ($10,000).

The local authorities verified the two attacks and reported to the central government.

 

[Yukio]

China slams US resolution on South, East China Sea disputes
Beijing August 1, 2013

China today said it opposes a US Senate resolution on disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea as it wrongly blamed the country, disregarding facts.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the resolution places blame on the Chinese side without regard for history and facts, "sending a wrong message."

The US Senate approved the resolution on Monday, "reaffirming the strong support of the United States for the peaceful resolution of territorial, sovereignty and jurisdictional disputes in the Asia-Pacific maritime domains."

The resolution puts pressure on China in regards to territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea.

"The disputed islands in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, are both part of China's territory and have been since ancient times. Due to historical factors, however, some of China's neighbours have disputed China's ownership of the islands," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Hua as saying.

Relations between China and Japan soured following the Japanese government's unilateral move to "nationalise" part of the islands in the East China Sea, last September.

In the South China Sea, a Philippine warship entered waters off disputed island under the pretext of "protecting sovereignty" to harass Chinese fishermen who were taking shelter in a lagoon during a storm in April 2012, Hua said.

The Philippines also recently sent fresh troops and supplies to the Ren'ai Reef, where it grounded a warship illegally in 1999.

Despite China's repeated requests that it tow the ship, the Philippines has failed to honour its commitment to do so, citing "technical problems", Hua said.

However, Manila accused China of "encroaching on its territory" after Chinese maritime surveillance ships patrolled waters near the Ren'ai Reef, she said.

The Chinese side is strongly opposed to the US Senate resolution and "has lodged solemn representations to the US side," Hua said.

"We urge relevant US senators to respect the facts and correct their mistakes so as not to make matters and the regional situation more complicated," she added.

China slams US resolution on South, East China Sea disputes | Business Standard

 

[cirr]

CCG 2151 here I come

 

[EastSea]

Hanoi backs Manila on sea strategy


By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan | Posted on Aug. 02, 2013 at 12:02am | 1,410 views

3
THE Philippines again found itself allied with Vietnam against China after Hanoi on Thursday assured its support of Manila’s case before the Arbitral Tribunal contesting Beijing’s excessive claims in the South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Vietnam was still supporting Manila’s decision to bring its dispute with China before the Arbitral Tribunal after his 7th bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

“They are very supportive of that [the Philippine’s arbitration case against China],” Del Rosario said.

“We’re discussing the possibility that we may be able to cooperate closely with them in terms of the settlement of the dispute.”

Manila and Hanoi’s diplomatic relations soured somewhat after a report said Vietnam had entered into an agreement with China to explore the resources in the disputed South China Sea, which is considered rich in oil and gas.

But del Rosario said Vietnam did not enter into any agreement with China that would violate Hanoi’s laws.

He said even China had been offering to both the Philippines and Vietnam a “joint development proposal” on gas exploration, but neither Hanoi nor Manila had agreed to it.

“I think they said that China is proposing a joint development with them, but I think they have taken the same position as ourselves,” Del Rosario said.

“A joint venture is possible if it is consistent with the laws of Vietnam, and in our case with the laws of the Philippines.”

When asked if Vietnam will join the arbitration, del Rosario said “possibly.”

“That’s one option. Of course it is a possibility that we may be able to cooperate closely with them in terms of the settlement of the dispute.”

Del Rosario said that in the coming meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Thailand in August, Hanoi and Manila had decided to convince the other Asean members, including the other claimants Malaysia and Brunei, not to settle for mere consultations with China but demand a “negotiation stage” in September.

He said once the Asean agreed to their proposals, they would bring up the matter during the Asean-China meeting in September.

The September meeting in Beijing is the first time that China has agreed to hold consultations with the Asean as a bloc in the drafting of a Code of Conduct, which is seen as a way of managing the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Del Rosario and Pham met on Thursday to discuss the growing maritime disputes in the South China sea and the ways of settling those.

“Vietnam has been very clear in advocating the peaceful resolution of the disputes according to international law,” he said.

The Philippines filed a case against China’s claims over the South China Area before the Arbitral Tribunal.

Beijing claims nearly all of the sea—even the waters close to the Philippines and other neighbors.

 

[Pinoy]

Manila to move air force, navy near disputed sea
The Associated Press
3 August 2013

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines plans to relocate major air force and navy camps to a former U.S. naval base northwest of Manila to gain faster access to waters being contested by China in the South China Sea, according to the country’s defense chief and a confidential government report.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said July 28 that as soon as relocation funds are available the government plans to transfer air force and naval forces and their fleets of aircraft and warships to Subic Bay, which has become a busy free port since the 1992 departure of the U.S. Navy.

“It’s for the protection of our West Philippine Sea,” Gazmin said using the name adopted by the Philippine government for the disputed South China Sea.

Subic Bay is a natural deep harbor that can accommodate two large warships acquired recently by the Philippines from the United States, a defense treaty ally, he said, especially compared to shallower harbor at the naval fleet base at Sangley Point in Cavite province, south of Manila.

The first U.S. Coast Guard cutter was relaunched as the Philippines’ largest warship in 2011. President Benigno Aquino III will lead ceremonies on Aug. 6 to welcome the second ship at Subic, the Philippine navy said.

A confidential defense department document obtained by The Associated Press says Subic’s location will cut reaction time by fighter aircraft to contested South China Sea areas by more than three minutes compared with flying from Clark airfield, also north of Manila, where some air force planes are based.

“It will provide the armed forces of the Philippines strategic location, direct and shorter access to support West Philippine Sea theater of operations,” the document said.

The report said the cost of repairs and improvements for an air force base in Subic would be at least 5.1 billion pesos ($119 million). It said that compares with an estimated 11 billion pesos ($256 million) that it would cost to build a new air force base, because the vast Subic complex about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Manila already has a world-class runway and aviation facilities.

Relocating about 250 air force officers and men to Subic, along with “increased rotational presence of foreign visiting forces” would bolster business and trade at the port, the military document said.

Subic’s international airport has been underutilized since U.S. courier giant FedEx transferred its lucrative regional hub from Subic to China in 2009, officials said.

The Philippines plans to grant visiting U.S. forces, ships and aircraft temporary access to more of its military camps to allow for a larger number of joint military exercises than are currently staged each year.

A larger U.S. presence could be used for disaster response and serve as a deterrent to what Philippine officials say have been recent aggressive intrusions by China into its territorials waters.

The Philippines has backed Washington’s efforts to reassert its military presence in Asia as a counterweight to China’s rise. While it has taken diplomatic steps to deal with China’s sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea, the Philippines has struggled to upgrade its military, one of Asia’s weakest.

Philippine vessels backed off from the disputed Scarborough Shoal last year after weeks of a tense standoff with Chinese surveillance ship, a move that gave China effective control over the vast fishing ground off the country’s northwest.

Many fear the territorial conflicts in the South China Sea, which also involve Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan, could set off a serious conflict that could threaten Asia’s growing economies.

 

[Pinoy]

Philippines says US spy planes monitoring China at sea
Agence France-Presse

Philippines says US Navy P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft frequently fly over disputed areas of the South China Sea.

The Philippines said on Wednesday that US spy planes were providing crucial intelligence on Chinese military activities in disputed areas of the South China Sea.

US Navy P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft frequently fly over areas that the Philippines says are within its legal territory but where China has deployed military vessels, said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.

“I think it’s of significant importance for us,” del Rosario told reporters, when asked about the value of the information gathered by the spy planes.

“We do have an interest in terms of what is going on with our exclusive economic zone, within our continental shelf, and we want to know if there are any intrusions.”

China claims nearly all of the sea, even waters close to the Philippines and other neighbours.

Analysts have long warned that China’s overlapping claims with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan could be a flashpoint of armed conflict.

Tensions have risen in recent years as China has adopted more aggressive diplomatic and military tactics to assert its claims to the potentially resource-rich waters.

The Philippines has repeatedly called on the United States, its former colonial master and close military ally, for help in resisting China.

While the United States insists it will not take sides in the South China Sea dispute, it has helped to upgrade the Philippines’ military capabilities.

When asked if the spy plane surveillance on China may jar with the United States’ insistence of neutrality in the maritime dispute, del Rosario emphasised the close US-Philippine ties.

He pointed out the allies had a mutual defence treaty, which calls on each party to help the other in times of external aggression.

He also said the United States was keen to maintain peace in the Asia-Pacific region and ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

“I think it is in that context that we believe they have a right to be there,” he said.

“It is also because we’d like them to be there, that is the bottom line.”

When asked how long the spy planes had been flying over the Philippine-claimed waters of the South China Sea, del Rosario said since at least he became foreign secretary in 2010.

He gave no further details on the timeframe but said the spy planes operated mostly, but not exclusively, during times of joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1293369/philippines-says-us-spy-planes-monitoring-china-sea

 

[cirr]

MSA，China's third pillar of maritime law enforcement

053

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[Zero_wing]

nice pics thanks for the intel imperialist

 

[cirr]

CCG 3401 launched on 03.08.2013 at HPS：

More in the pipeline。

 

[Rechoice]

http : // killerapps foreignpolicy com / posts/2013/07/29/us_deploying_jets_around_asia_to_keep_china_surrou nded

The United States Air Force will dramatically expand its military presence across the Pacific this year, sending jets to Thailand, India, Singapore, and Australia, according to the service's top general in the region.

For a major chunk of America's military community, the so-called "pivot to Asia" might seem like nothing more than an empty catchphrase, especially with the Middle East once again in flames. But for the Air Force at least, the shift is very real. And the idea behind its pivot is simple: ring China with U.S. and allied forces, just like the West did to the Soviet Union, back in the Cold War.

U.S. military officials constantly say they aren't trying to contain China; they're working with the Chinese and other Pacific nations to "maintain stability" in the region. Still, a ring of bases looks an awful lot like something we've seen before.

In Australia, for example, the Air Force will dispatch "fighters, tankers, and at some point in the future, maybe bombers on a rotational basis," said Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, chief of U.S. Air Force operations in the Pacific, during a breakfast with reporters in Washington on July 29. The jets will likely start their Australian presence sometime in the next year at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base at Darwin (already crowded with Marines), before moving to nearby RAAF Base Tindal, according to the four-star general.

This is just the start of the Air Force's plan to expand its presence in Asia, according to Carlisle. In addition to the Australian deployments, the Air Force will be sending jets to Changi East air base in Singapore, Korat air base in Thailand, a site in India, and possibly bases at Kubi Point and Puerto Princesa in the Philippines and airfields in Indonesia and Malaysia.

All of this helps the United States develop a network of bases in the region and build ties to allies that operate American equipment and know how to work with the U.S. military.

"One of the main tenets of our strategy is to expand engagement and interoperability and integration … with our friends' and partners' militaries," said Carlisle.

"The only defense budgets in the world that are climbing are in Asia," said the general. This means the United States is working to grow its network of American-armed Pacific allies that can, in effect, bolster the U.S. presence there.

"We exercise together; we train together; we build their capability; and we also get familiar with them and the environment," said Carlisle, who promised such collaboration "will pay tremendous dividends."

Carlisle insists that the service isn't planning on building large amounts of infrastructure across Southeast Asia to support permanent U.S. garrisons. Instead, it will have a steady stream of U.S. and northern Pacific-based units rotating into existing airfields in the region.

"We're not gonna build any more bases in the Pacific" to support the U.S. Air Force's increased presence there, said Carlisle.

The Air Force is taking a page from its Cold War playbook designed to keep the Soviets from invading Europe and will constantly deploy units based in the United States and the northern Pacific to a string of airfields in Southeast Asia.

"Back in the late great days of the Cold War, we had a thing called Checkered Flag: We rotated almost every CONUS [Continental United States] unit to Europe," said Carlisle, "Every two years, every unit would go and work out of a collateral operating base in Europe. We're turning to that in the Pacific."

Right now, the U.S. Air Force has nine main major bases scattered throughout the Pacific, from Alaska and Hawaii to Guam, Japan, and Korea. While these sites will see some rotational aircraft pass through, they're already pretty crowded with aircraft that are permanently based in those locations. This means the air service will start regularly sending aircraft to countries it hasn't had a presence in since the Cold War.

"In a lot of ways we'll move increasingly south and east with our rotational presence," said Carlisle. "The most capable platforms will be rotated into the Pacific."

This means the Air Force will sent large numbers of F-22 Raptors, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, and B-2 stealth bombers to the region, according to Carlisle (who pointed out that the first permanent overseas base for the F-35 will be in the Pacific).

Remember, the Navy and Marines have already started their pivot to Asia, with the Navy basing littoral combat ships in Singapore and the Marines sending troops on their aforementioned deployments to Australia. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps is also refurbishing old World War II airfields on Pacific Islands. These bare-bones strips, like the one on Tinian, would be used by American forces in case their main bases are targeted by Chinese ballistic missiles.

U.S. officials keep saying that these deployments to the Pacific will be just for a short while. But these rotating troops will still need support staff waiting for them at all of these sites -- which means America's expansion in the Pacific be anything but temporary.

Is this the real "String of Pearl" ?

Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/china-...asia-keep-china-surrounded.html#ixzz2axwAcpz3

 

[beijingwalker]

China says in no hurry to sign South China Sea accord
2 hours ago

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is in no rush to sign a proposed agreement on maritime rules with Southeast Asia governing behavior in the disputed South China Sea, and countries should not have unrealistic expectations, the Chinese foreign minister said on Monday.

After years of resisting efforts by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to start talks on the proposed Code of Conduct, China said it would host talks between senior officials in September.

Washington has not taken sides, but Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated in Brunei last month the U.S. strategic interest in freedom of navigation through the busy sea and desire to see a Code of Conduct signed quickly.

Speaking in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said a lot more work on the Code of Conduct (CoC) was needed.

"China believes that there should be no rush. Certain countries are hoping that the CoC can be agreed on overnight. These countries are having unrealistic expectations," China's official Xinhua news agency paraphrased Wang as saying.

"...The CoC concerns the interests of various parties and its formulation demands a heavy load of coordination work," he added. "No individual countries should impose their will on others."

Previous efforts to discuss the Code of Conduct had failed "due to disturbances from certain parties", Wang said, without naming any countries.

"Instead of making disturbances, parties should make efforts that are conducive to the process so as to create the necessary conditions and atmosphere," said Wang.

Friction over the South China Sea, one of the world's most important waterways, has surged as China uses its growing naval might to more forcefully assert its vast claims over the oil- and gas-rich sea, raising fears of a military clash.

Four ASEAN nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines, have overlapping claims with China.

China and the Philippines accuse each other of violating the Declaration of Conduct, a non-binding confidence-building agreement on maritime conduct signed by China and ASEAN in 2002.

Such differences could be another obstacle to agreeing on a more comprehensive pact as China has stressed that countries must first show good faith by abiding by the DoC.

Critics say China is intent on cementing its claims over the sea through its superior and growing naval might, and has little interest in rushing to agree to a code of conduct.

Divisions among ASEAN over the maritime dispute burst into the open a year ago when a summit chaired by Chinese ally Cambodia failed to issue a closing communique for the first time in the group's 45-year history.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)

http://news.**********/china-says-no-hurry-sign-south-china-sea-100237920.html

 

[EastSea]

Vietnam, Philippines boost marine cooperation

VietNamNet Bridge – Senior officials from the Philippines and Vietnam have underscored sea and ocean cooperation as the cornerstone of the two countries’ relations.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his Philippine counterpart Albert F. Del Rosario. (Photo: AFP)


The point was made at the 7th session of the Vietnam-Philippines Bilateral Cooperation Committee, which was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his counterpart Albert F. Del Rosario in Manila, the Philippines, on July 31-August 1.
The officials voiced their pleasure at the establishment of a sea and ocean joint committee at the foreign deputy ministerial level and a group of legal experts on marine issues, which serve as effective bilateral mechanisms to boost the two countries’ dialogues and collaboration in sea-related issues.
They discussed ways to effectively implement cooperation agreements to address oil spills, along with sea search and rescue.
Discussing matters on the East Sea, the two sides upheld the principles of ASEAN on ensuring peace, stability, security, maritime safety and freedom, settling disputes by peaceful means in compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, carrying out the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and ASEAN’s Declaration on Six-point Principles on the East Sea, and advancing towards the early building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Turning to security-defence cooperation, the two FMs agreed to continue implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on enhancing information exchanges between their two naval forces and the agreement to establish a hotline between Vietnamese maritime police and Filipino coastguards and join efforts to handle non-conventional security challenges.
They highly valued the robust bilateral trade, which recorded nearly 3 billion USD last year, and is expected to further increase in the coming time.
They also welcomed the signed agreement on rice supply for 2014-2016 and consented to step up negotiations for completing the Protocol on Agricultural Cooperation and successfully implement the agreement on Fishery Cooperation focusing on aquatic research and farming.
The settlement of cases involved the two countries’ fishermen and ships violating each other’s waters areas will be handled on the basis of humanitarian spirit and bilateral friendship, the officials said.
They came up with an agreement to boost bilateral cooperation in other fields -- energy security, culture, education-training, science-technology, environment, social welfare and development.
The officials agreed to maintain exchanges between senior officials and the people in order to enhance mutual trust and understanding.
FM Minh visited the Philippines on July 31-August 1, at the invitation of Albert F. Del Rosario.
The next event will be hosted by Vietnam in 2015.
VNA/VNS/VOV
Tags:Vietnam, Philippines, marine cooperat

 

[StarCraft_ZT]

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) shakes hands with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi on Monday. Photo: AFP

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) shakes hands with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

Beijing tells Asean to be realistic in hopes for South China Sea code

All parties with territorial disputes over the South China Sea should have "realistic expectations" and take "a gradual approach" to a proposed code of conduct aimed at defusing maritime tensions in the region, China's foreign minister said in Hanoi yesterday.

Wang Yi , who wraps up a six-day visit to four South East Asian countries today, said Beijing was open to dialogue on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea (CoC), but warned that patience would be needed.

"Some countries are looking for a quick fix [to the disputes] and are hoping to thrash out a code in a day; this approach is neither realistic nor serious," Xinhua quoted Wang as saying yesterday.

The CoC involved multiple national interests and as such required a "delicate and complex" negotiating process, Wang added.

Analysts say Wang was referring to the Philippines's recent bid to take the maritime row to the United Nations in hope of solving it promptly.

One analyst believed Beijing did not want Manila to go to the UN. "It would attract too much attention. China would prefer to bind South China Sea claimants into a bureaucratic process that it can control, exploiting Asean disunity," said Alex Neill, a Shangri-la dialogue senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies.

Previous efforts to discuss the CoC failed because of "disturbances" from irrelevant parties, Wang said, in a thinly veiled message to the US, a long-term ally with the Philippines.

"Instead of making disturbances, parties should make efforts that are conducive to the process so as to create the necessary conditions and atmosphere," Wang said.

Wang stressed that any progress on the new framework would be dependent on countries following a confidence-building "declaration of conduct" agreed upon in 2002, which Beijing accuses Manila of violating.

The Philippines and Vietnam have led criticism of what they consider increasingly assertive claims by China in the South China Sea.

Top diplomats from both countries agreed last week in Manila to work closely to deal with their territorial disputes with Beijing. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also said that Hanoi supported Manila's move to take the issue of South China Sea disputes to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

"Wang is trying to head off any unity among Asean [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] members against China ahead of the next Asean summit [in October]," Neill said.

While China has been eager to smooth tensions with Vietnam, it has shunned Manila. In May, Wang visited Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei in his first official visits since the former ambassador to Japan was appointed foreign minister. The just-concluded trip covers Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. Last month, Beijing blasted Manila for turning to the UN to seek arbitration over their maritime disputes, and accused the country of provoking tensions.

"I could see why Wang would've wanted to refer to Manila [in his comments]," said Kerry Brown, professor of political science at the University of Sydney.

"China would have lots of reasons to utterly resist the UN being dragged in, as they would argue this is an internal issue, and for the Philippines to try to use this as leverage would seem to them to be theatrical posturing,"

 

[StarCraft_ZT]

Vietnam prioritises fostering ties with China

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong has stated that fostering the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China is Vietnam’s consistent guideline and also a top priority in its external policy.

While receiving Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Hanoi on August 5, the Party leader expressed his hope that the two countries will do their best to fully implement agreements reached by their high-ranking leaders, and strengthen practical and effective cooperation in all areas.

The two countries should settle all existing problems satisfactorily through peaceful negotiations in accordance with international law and their signed relevant documents in order to make their friendship stable and healthy, for the benefit of the two peoples, as well as for peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world.

For his part, Wang informed the host of the outcomes of the talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh, affirming the Chinese Party and Government attach importance to the relationship with Vietnam.

He said his country wants together with Vietnam to strengthen cooperation in all fields, thus contributing to deepening the two countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.-VNA

(VOV) - Vietnam gives top priority to boosting the friendship, neighbourliness and comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership with China.

Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy while receiving Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Hanoi on August 5.

He welcomed Wang’s visit and noted that bilateral relations have developed strongly in recent times through high-level reciprocal visits. He conveyed his best wishes to General Secretary-President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese leaders.

Trong expressed his hope that both countries should make a greater effort to concretise and realise agreements reached by their top leaders to effectively strengthen cooperation in all areas.

He urged both sides to reasonably address pending issues through peaceful negotiations in line with international law and related agreements they have signed, in order to develop their bilateral relationship in a stable, healthy manner, for mutual interests and for peace, stability and prosperous development in the region and the world.

Wang briefed Trong on the results of his talks with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, and confirmed that the Party, State and government of China attach great importance to relations with Vietnam.

China wants to expand cooperation in all areas with Vietnam to deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership between the two countries, he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is paying an official visit to Vietnam from August 3-6 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh.

 

[ManilaBoy45]

Philippines Vows Intensified Sea Patrols

Talks Underway for 3rd Hamilton Class| Fox News

By Jason Gutierrez
Published August 06, 2013

SUBIC BAY, Philippines (AFP) – The Philippines promised intensified sea patrols on Tuesday as it welcomed the arrival of a second warship from the United States to bolster its defences during a maritime dispute with China.President Benigno Aquino led the navy in welcoming the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, a Hamilton-class cutter that had been decommissioned by the US coast guard and acquired by Manila.The ship berthed at Subic, a former American naval base on the west coast of the main island of Luzon facing the South China Sea where the Philippines has festering territorial disputes with China."Now that BRP Alcaraz has arrived, we will surely intensify our patrols in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone," Aquino said in a speech as the US envoy to Manila and other officials cheered."It will also boost our capability to counter any threat," he said.Aquino made no direct reference to China, which has claims in the South China Sea overlapping those of the Philippines and other nations.