Vietnam Defence Forum

[Carlosa]

Vietnam ‘may tilt towards US’ in regional power play with China

Manila’s stronger ties with Beijing could prompt Hanoi to move closer to Washington, observers say


PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 08 August, 2017, 11:02pm

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...may-tilt-towards-us-regional-power-play-china

Catherine Wong

http://www.twitter.com/catherinewongbj

catherine.wong@scmp.com
7 Aug 2017
Vietnam has emerged as China’s most vocal rival claimant in the South China Sea and could move closer to the United States as the Philippines tilts towards China, analysts say.

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Hanoi’s tensions with Beijing came to the surface in Manila on Monday when a scheduled one-on-one meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers was called off during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers meeting.

Vietnam pushed for the bloc to insist in its joint communique that a code of conduct with China over the disputed waters should be legally binding, a move Beijing opposes. To China’s dismay, Vietnam also pushed Asean to express concern about “extended construction” in the area.

Observers said there would be more frictions between China and Vietnam as Hanoi sought to engage other regional powers such as Japan and the United States to counterbalance Manila’s shift towards Beijing under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

China-Vietnam maritime tensions flare as foreign ministers meeting called off

To that end, US Defence Secretary James Mattis is due to have talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich in Washington this week. Vietnam will also host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, which US President Donald Trump might attend.

Ties between Hanoi and Washington were given a big boost last year when the administration of former US president Barack Obama lifted a cold war ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam.

Zhang Mingliang, a specialist on Southeast Asian affairs at Jinan University in Guangzhou, said there had long been tensions between Vietnam and China.

“Vietnam has always been the country in Asean that has the strongest suspicions of Beijing ... because it shares both a maritime and land border with China,” Zhang said.

To shore up its position against China, Vietnam has beefed up its naval strength and quietly fortified several of its islands in the disputed waters. Vietnamese coastguard vessels also held their first joint exercises with their Japanese counterparts in June, simulating an operation to thwart illegal fishing in the South China Sea.

After talking to China about China, Vietnam goes to Washington to do it again

Dai Fan, also from Jinan University, said the South China Sea was more important to Vietnam than the Philippines.

“As a country occupying a narrow strip of land, Vietnam lacks strategic depth and is therefore more vulnerable to attack. This is why Vietnam needs to be more protective of its maritime rights,” Dai said.

Xue Li, a maritime policy expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Hanoi would continue to use the international stage to take a strong stand on the South China Sea.

“It’s normal for Vietnam as a small country to balance [forces] but it will not push too far,” Xue said.

He said there was a limit to Vietnam’s approach because of the uncertainty of the Trump administration’s Asia-Pacific policy and its lack of interest in challenging China on the maritime front.

Duterte’s joint energy plan for South China Sea may test Asean’s unity

“Vietnam is unlikely to take a role as active as Aquino,” Xue said, referring to former Philippine president Benigno Aquino who took the South China Sea case to an international tribunal.

“Trump’s interest in the South China Sea will not be as big as Obama’s. There is also fundamental mistrust between Vietnam and the US because of their ideological differences.”

 

[xiao qi]

Vietnam wins U.S. defense pledges as tension with China grows


U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) hosts an honor cordon for Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich (R) at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 8, 2017.Kevin Lamarque
Eric Beech and My Pham


WASHINGTON/HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam has won the promise of a visit from a U.S. aircraft carrier and deeper defense cooperation from the United States as strains show with China over the disputed South China Sea.

Within Southeast Asia, Vietnam has become an increasingly lonely voice in challenging Chinese claims to the vast majority of the waterway and was forced to suspend some offshore oil drilling last month after pressure from Beijing.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich in Washington on Tuesday that a strong defense relationship was based on common interests that included freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

"The Secretary welcomed Vietnam's engagement and growing leadership in the Asia-Pacific region," a statement from the Pentagon said.

The defense ministers agreed on a visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to Vietnam next year - the first such visit since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of a carrier visit with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc when they met at the White House in May.

The agreement was consistent with Vietnam's diplomatic strategy of being open to all countries, said Ha Hoang Hop, a Vietnamese political analyst who has advised the government.

"Vietnam is not willing to compromise on issues of sovereignty and also makes its own preparations," he said.


U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis awaits the arrival of Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 8, 2017.Kevin Lamarque
Beijing has been irritated by Vietnam's growing defense relationships with the United States and rival Asian powers, including Japan and India.

Tension has risen since June, when Vietnam infuriated China by drilling for oil and gas in an offshore block that Beijing disputes. The exploration was suspended after diplomatic protests from China.


A Vietnam flag flies as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) hosts an honor cordon for Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich (R) at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 8, 2017.Kevin Lamarque
China was also annoyed by Vietnam's stand at an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting at the weekend, when it held out for language in a communique that noted concern about island-building and militarization in the South China Sea.

A scheduled meeting between Chinese and Vietnamese foreign ministers on the sidelines of the summit was canceled. China also pointed to Vietnam's own reclamation work in the South China Sea. [L4N1KU1JM]


Beijing is sensitive to even a veiled reference by ASEAN to its reclamation of seven reefs and its military installations in the South China Sea, which it claims in almost its entirety despite the competing claims of five other countries.

More than $3 trillion in cargo passes through the waterway every year.

Australia, Japan and the United States urged Southeast Asia and China on Monday to ensure that a South China Sea code of conduct they have committed to draw up would be legally binding and said they strongly opposed "coercive unilateral actions".

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china-idUSKBN1AO1D4

@Nilgiri a long time no see, how are you ?

 

[Nilgiri]

@Nilgiri a long time no see, how are you ?

Good my friend. I do read from time to time this thread....unfortunately there is forum glitch that stops me receiving updates after certain time elapses or something....and that leads to a break (I simply run out of time or forget to check).

Hope you are doing well! I hope India not backing off from the current tension with China ....gives Vietnam more confidence and measured resolve dealing with same country. I know Vietnam definitely inspired us in this regard over much longer time period more than most people know! Look forward to more cooperation, interaction and understanding between our two countries over time.

I was disheartened to see Cambodia toeing the anti-Viet position so much even now in ASEAN talks (and getting bribed for it too it seems)....after all you did for them getting rid of that psycho Pol Pot, even facing off against his big supporter who invaded you to try punish you. Even after all this time though Vietnam has last word on it, and you stay strong without need of anyone else help....I am glad for that.

 

[xiao qi]

Good my friend. I do read from time to time this thread....unfortunately there is forum glitch that stops me receiving updates after certain time elapses or something....and that leads to a break (I simply run out of time or forget to check).

Hope you are doing well! I hope India not backing off from the current tension with China ....gives Vietnam more confidence and measured resolve dealing with same country. I know Vietnam definitely inspired us in this regard over much longer time period more than most people know! Look forward to more cooperation, interaction and understanding between our two countries over time.

I was disheartened to see Cambodia toeing the anti-Viet position so much even now in ASEAN talks (and getting bribed for it too it seems)....after all you did for them getting rid of that psycho Pol Pot, even facing off against his big supporter who invaded you to try punish you. Even after all this time though Vietnam has last word on it, and you stay strong without need of anyone else help....I am glad for that.

Cambodia and Vietnam relation is complicated and needs more words to say about this issues. When Vietnamese ousted PolPot, Many Cambodian people showed gratitude to the Vietnamese. However, by now 80% of them have died, and those young Cambodian who didn't live under Khmer Rouge, they don't feel the need to thank anyone. Although Vietnam may have defeated the Khmer Rouge when it entered Cambodia in 1979, many young Khmer still view the Vietnamese march on Phnom Penh as an invasion, not a liberation. Now they feared of the next invasion. We also have the disputed territories with them but It is not important like the SCS with China ( some ponds in near border of two countries and will resolve in the near time )
The highest leader of Cambodia now is Hunsen. He and his family exploited and are corrupt. In the past, he was backed up by Vietnamese force in Cambodia But near the time he changes his policy to China to keep his power because he scares of Cambodian people they will kick out in the election 2018 in Cambodia and need the support from China. In my opinion, I don't like the intervention of Vietnamese and Chinese in Cambodia. You maybe don't know but I hear some information that said the Vietnamese army support the Cambodia in their dispute with Thailand. Cambodia also has the disputed land with Laos. Compare between North Korea and Cambodia. Actually, North Korea is better than. The Cambodia has too many problems to deal. In fact, Cambodian don't like the Vietnamese, but They also don't like the Chinese. Yesterday, I read one newspaper from Cambodian and they express their anger when the Chinese company bought their land to search for gold. Under the Polpot regime, the number Chinese -Cambodian was killed is not small numbers. Because the Chinese kept the Cambodian economy and Polpot really don't like that. The irony is the Chinese government in mainland support Khmer Rouge to kill their people in Cambodia. Like I said, the relationship is complicated.
In Cambodia, many people also don't want to involve the conflict between China and Vietnam. Because they know, China is a big country but Vietnam with them is the same. They can't fight with Vietnamese 2 weeks.

 

[Viet]

Sounds good to me. Really glad their government and businesses have come around.

Here is an older article, but this particular one from The New York Times has yet been posted.

Vietnam, Yielding to Beijing, Backs Off South China Sea Drilling
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/world/asia/vietnam-south-china-sea-repsol.htm

Seems like President Rodrigo Duterte was a catalyst for the change in direction of ASEAN.

Duterte has turned the Philippines into a slaughterhouse. there is little to celebrate. Ok it pays off for you of course if you now bribe Cambodia and Philippines because both will sabotage the ASEAN unity and development. Even for a risk of war in the region. VN backs down yet because we are not ready yet. We will come back.

Good my friend. I do read from time to time this thread....unfortunately there is forum glitch that stops me receiving updates after certain time elapses or something....and that leads to a break (I simply run out of time or forget to check).

Hope you are doing well! I hope India not backing off from the current tension with China ....gives Vietnam more confidence and measured resolve dealing with same country. I know Vietnam definitely inspired us in this regard over much longer time period more than most people know! Look forward to more cooperation, interaction and understanding between our two countries over time.

I was disheartened to see Cambodia toeing the anti-Viet position so much even now in ASEAN talks (and getting bribed for it too it seems)....after all you did for them getting rid of that psycho Pol Pot, even facing off against his big supporter who invaded you to try punish you. Even after all this time though Vietnam has last word on it, and you stay strong without need of anyone else help....I am glad for that.

India should continue to stand ground. That will give VN time and room for military buildup and diplomatic manouver. Cambodia history and relationship to Vietnam is complex and complicated. The Chinese have the tendency to fuel anti Vietnamese sentiment in Cambodia whenever they can.

Ah There are some interesting news about the visit of VN military chief to the Pentagon. Let post some pictures.

 

[Viet]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-vietnam-military-idUSKBN1AP010

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) hosts an honor cordon for Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich (R) at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 8, 2017.

Among other things, two agreements:
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1272572/

- VN will host the first US aircraft carrier by next year (the first since end of Vietnam war). More regular visits of US carriers and other nations such as UK will probably follow.

- VN and US will increase intel information sharing.

Ha Hoang Hop, a political analyst who has advised the Vietnamese government: "Vietnam is not willing to compromise on issues of sovereignty and also makes its own preparations".

 

[Carlosa]

By needling 3 great powers simultaneously, China probably just punctured its own future
R Sriram
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...share&utm_campaign=socialsharebutton&from=mdr

Great empires and countries often fall victim to hubris. The realisation that you are on top of things can sometimes make you act recklessly in conflict. The mighty Americans experienced this in Vietnam and a few decades before that Nazi Germany, tried to grab everything in Europe only to suffer the most humiliating of defeats. The Turks in the 17th century, when they tried to stretch their hands to grab the most important of all prizes, Vienna, and the British Empire’s short-lived excursion into Afghanistan are examples of reverses suffered by great powers when their ambitions tried to defy reason and logic.

Modern-day China is in a similar situation. Two years ago, the Middle Kingdom’s problems were only economic. There was a dispute with Japan and another dispute over islands with South-east Asian nations but that was it. China’s biggest problem then was to stop its economy from sliding into middle to low single digits and accomplish the great triple transition, the shift from investment to consumption, manufacturing to services and exports to domestic market.

The fate of that transition today still hangs in balance but China has unwisely managed to get itself embroiled in some ugly geopolitical disputes. What is more, these disputes are with powerful countries who have the ability to hurt its interests.

Whether China has done its due to overconfidence, hubris or just plain recklessness is unclear but what is clear is that China’s ambitious attempt to project power only tells a part of the story. It hides a problem, a problem that is likely to get bigger the more intransigent its leaders get.

Let’s examine more on this issue. North Korea is a festering sore with the US continuously haranguing China for its inaction in tackling the nuclear menace. The spat over South China sea islands continues and may get uglier. The Trump administration may be more assertive in dealing with Chinese infractions than the Obama national securitystate department team and that is not good news for Xi Jinping.

The biggest problem of them all is the stand-off with India in Doklam. China’s intrusion into the Bhutan-Tibet-India trijunction, its desire to build a road and get access to the commanding heights overlooking the Siliguri corridor is an example of the assertive politics that Chinese leaders and generals are willing to play. In 1962, China took advantage of Indian weakness and the foolish Forward Policy brinkmanship of the Jawaharlal Nehru-Krishna Menon duo to quickly teach India a lesson. In Doklam, as things stand today, we don’t know what will happen.

Military experts and writers have talked about India’s strategic ground advantage and its tough stance and how China could be forced into looking for a face-saver given that India is not backing down. There could a war. Even if there is, is India better prepared than it was in 1962? We will never know for sure till it happens, but there is some evidence to believe that we are.

But let’s not talk of military action. Let’s look at trade where China is vulnerable and we are not. If China continues to be intransigent, can India hit back at investments and trade? Can India show that it can hurt China by stopping, reversing investments and clamping down on imports? This, to some extent, is already happening and it should know that trade is its soft underbelly and that India can hit where it hurts.

Trump, for China, is a far bigger threat. The US president has been warning China of trade repercussions if it does not behave. So far China has played ball only reluctantly and Trump has not been afraid of using the stick when he wants it. A recent China-US trade meet was not a happy one and Chinese banks and individuals have been targeted for sanctions. Chinese investments in US may be next on radar.

India, US and Japan, either together or separately have the ability to damage and thwart China’s ambitions. It can be done through trade, through joint military or diplomatic posture and even joint approach to strengthening relations and building investments in the emerging world. In 1962, India had no trade leverage over China. That’s not the case today. Will China be able to stomach a billions of lost opportunity in investment and trade if India decides to apply pressure? With the US, the lost opportunity in trade is bigger.

A recovering Chinese economy can ill-afford this hit. Some experts believe that Trump, despite his bravado, will not act against China. But that may be a hasty conclusion. Trump has shown that he is not afraid to act when it comes to protecting US interests and won’t hesitate to poke the dragon in the eye if he feels that it will serve him well politically.

Yes, China can probably not be defeated on the battlefield by a single nation without using massive power. But a club of nations, acting together or alone, can definitely peg back China’s ambitions. China should realise that the world has changed drastically since 1962.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-vietnam-military-idUSKBN1AP010

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) hosts an honor cordon for Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich (R) at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 8, 2017.

View attachment 417106 View attachment 417107 View attachment 417108 View attachment 417109 View attachment 417110 View attachment 417111

Among other things, two agreements:
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1272572/

- VN will host the first US aircraft carrier by next year (the first since end of Vietnam war). More regular visits of US carriers and other nations such as UK will probably follow.

- VN and US will increase intel information sharing.

Ha Hoang Hop, a political analyst who has advised the Vietnamese government: "Vietnam is not willing to compromise on issues of sovereignty and also makes its own preparations".

US statement:

U.S. welcomes Vietnam's "growing leadership in the Asia-Pacific region".

 

[Carlosa]

Good my friend. I do read from time to time this thread....unfortunately there is forum glitch that stops me receiving updates after certain time elapses or something....and that leads to a break (I simply run out of time or forget to check).

Hope you are doing well! I hope India not backing off from the current tension with China ....gives Vietnam more confidence and measured resolve dealing with same country. I know Vietnam definitely inspired us in this regard over much longer time period more than most people know! Look forward to more cooperation, interaction and understanding between our two countries over time.

I was disheartened to see Cambodia toeing the anti-Viet position so much even now in ASEAN talks (and getting bribed for it too it seems)....after all you did for them getting rid of that psycho Pol Pot, even facing off against his big supporter who invaded you to try punish you. Even after all this time though Vietnam has last word on it, and you stay strong without need of anyone else help....I am glad for that.

Cambodians are nuts, they have extreme hate for Vietnamese. I was there a few times, last time I asked my driver: Vietnam saved Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge, why do you hate them so much? His answer: Oh no, they didn't do anything for us, it was all part of their plan together with the Khmer Rouge; they created the situation.

Can't rationally talk to people like that, they always look for an excuse to justify their feelings. When Cambodian politicians need votes, they only need to blame something on Vietnamese, it always works.

The reality is that they resent that present south Vietnam used to be Khmer territory and the Viets took it over.

 

[Viet]

By needling 3 great powers simultaneously, China probably just punctured its own future
R Sriram
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...share&utm_campaign=socialsharebutton&from=mdr

Great empires and countries often fall victim to hubris. The realisation that you are on top of things can sometimes make you act recklessly in conflict. The mighty Americans experienced this in Vietnam and a few decades before that Nazi Germany, tried to grab everything in Europe only to suffer the most humiliating of defeats. The Turks in the 17th century, when they tried to stretch their hands to grab the most important of all prizes, Vienna, and the British Empire’s short-lived excursion into Afghanistan are examples of reverses suffered by great powers when their ambitions tried to defy reason and logic.

Modern-day China is in a similar situation. Two years ago, the Middle Kingdom’s problems were only economic. There was a dispute with Japan and another dispute over islands with South-east Asian nations but that was it. China’s biggest problem then was to stop its economy from sliding into middle to low single digits and accomplish the great triple transition, the shift from investment to consumption, manufacturing to services and exports to domestic market.

The fate of that transition today still hangs in balance but China has unwisely managed to get itself embroiled in some ugly geopolitical disputes. What is more, these disputes are with powerful countries who have the ability to hurt its interests.

Whether China has done its due to overconfidence, hubris or just plain recklessness is unclear but what is clear is that China’s ambitious attempt to project power only tells a part of the story. It hides a problem, a problem that is likely to get bigger the more intransigent its leaders get.

Let’s examine more on this issue. North Korea is a festering sore with the US continuously haranguing China for its inaction in tackling the nuclear menace. The spat over South China sea islands continues and may get uglier. The Trump administration may be more assertive in dealing with Chinese infractions than the Obama national securitystate department team and that is not good news for Xi Jinping.

The biggest problem of them all is the stand-off with India in Doklam. China’s intrusion into the Bhutan-Tibet-India trijunction, its desire to build a road and get access to the commanding heights overlooking the Siliguri corridor is an example of the assertive politics that Chinese leaders and generals are willing to play. In 1962, China took advantage of Indian weakness and the foolish Forward Policy brinkmanship of the Jawaharlal Nehru-Krishna Menon duo to quickly teach India a lesson. In Doklam, as things stand today, we don’t know what will happen.

Military experts and writers have talked about India’s strategic ground advantage and its tough stance and how China could be forced into looking for a face-saver given that India is not backing down. There could a war. Even if there is, is India better prepared than it was in 1962? We will never know for sure till it happens, but there is some evidence to believe that we are.

But let’s not talk of military action. Let’s look at trade where China is vulnerable and we are not. If China continues to be intransigent, can India hit back at investments and trade? Can India show that it can hurt China by stopping, reversing investments and clamping down on imports? This, to some extent, is already happening and it should know that trade is its soft underbelly and that India can hit where it hurts.

Trump, for China, is a far bigger threat. The US president has been warning China of trade repercussions if it does not behave. So far China has played ball only reluctantly and Trump has not been afraid of using the stick when he wants it. A recent China-US trade meet was not a happy one and Chinese banks and individuals have been targeted for sanctions. Chinese investments in US may be next on radar.

India, US and Japan, either together or separately have the ability to damage and thwart China’s ambitions. It can be done through trade, through joint military or diplomatic posture and even joint approach to strengthening relations and building investments in the emerging world. In 1962, India had no trade leverage over China. That’s not the case today. Will China be able to stomach a billions of lost opportunity in investment and trade if India decides to apply pressure? With the US, the lost opportunity in trade is bigger.

A recovering Chinese economy can ill-afford this hit. Some experts believe that Trump, despite his bravado, will not act against China. But that may be a hasty conclusion. Trump has shown that he is not afraid to act when it comes to protecting US interests and won’t hesitate to poke the dragon in the eye if he feels that it will serve him well politically.

Yes, China can probably not be defeated on the battlefield by a single nation without using massive power. But a club of nations, acting together or alone, can definitely peg back China’s ambitions. China should realise that the world has changed drastically since 1962.



US statement:

U.S. welcomes Vietnam's "growing leadership in the Asia-Pacific region".

Oh I missed the statement from the United States. He he ...Vietnam with growing leads. Yes it is better for everyone if a country like VN with IQ leads the bloc. Look at the Philippines. Vietnam has been the primary rice supplier for the country for years. Once Durtete came to power, he imposed restriction on rice import, apparently to hurt VN and to please his new friend China. Now the country rice stock sinks to just 4 day reserves, he is panicked. I guess should the Philippines slip into famine, Xi Jinping would continue to brag growing CN-PN relationship.

 

[xiao qi]

Cambodians are nuts, they have extreme hate for Vietnamese. I was there a few times, last time I asked my driver: Vietnam saved Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge, why do you hate them so much? His answer: Oh no, they didn't do anything for us, it was all part of their plan together with the Khmer Rouge; they created the situation.

Can't rationally talk to people like that, they always look for an excuse to justify their feelings. When Cambodian politicians need votes, they only need to blame something on Vietnamese, it always works.

The reality is that they resent that present south Vietnam used to be Khmer territory and the Viets took it over.

They are extremely interesting, Polpot too, In one his interview he said he doesn't know any massacre and crime, his employer did but he didn't know when he was the highest leader of them. He also said the Vietnamese are the reason but under his regime, more than 2 million Cambodian people were killed for nothing. If Vietnamese agent can kill 2 million people under Polpot's hand so I think the Vietnamese agent is the best in the world. Some of them suppose the Vietnamese agent at that time ordered Polpot attacked the Vietnamese territories and kill Vietnamese people to create a chance for Vietnamese soldier launched a war in Cambodia and annex their territories. So funny.

 

[Viet]

They are extremely interesting, Polpot too, In one his interview he said he doesn't know any massacre and crime, his employer did but he didn't know when he was the highest leader of them. He also said the Vietnamese are the reason but under his regime, more than 2 million Cambodian people were killed for nothing. If Vietnamese agent can kill 2 million people under Polpot's hand so I think the Vietnamese agent is the best in the world. Some of them suppose the Vietnamese agent at that time ordered Polpot attacked the Vietnamese territories and kill Vietnamese people to create a chance for Vietnamese soldier launched a war in Cambodia and annex their territories. So funny.

The Khmer are easy to be manipulated. Look, Polpot and his murder gang staged an extreme form of Chinese style mass killing and cultural destruction. Cambodia's entire history, scripts, books including teachers were destroyed and butchered. Only the ancient inscriptions in temples remain. There was nothing left. Zero. Vietnam had rebuilt completely the entire system. Nevertheless the cambodians hate Vietnam. It is surreal. I am not sure who hates VN more: the Chinese or the Khmer?

 

[Viva_Viet]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-vietnam-military-idUSKBN1AP010

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) hosts an honor cordon for Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich (R) at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 8, 2017.

View attachment 417106 View attachment 417107 View attachment 417108 View attachment 417109 View attachment 417110 View attachment 417111

Among other things, two agreements:
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1272572/

- VN will host the first US aircraft carrier by next year (the first since end of Vietnam war). More regular visits of US carriers and other nations such as UK will probably follow.

- VN and US will increase intel information sharing.

Ha Hoang Hop, a political analyst who has advised the Vietnamese government: "Vietnam is not willing to compromise on issues of sovereignty and also makes its own preparations".

Yeah, as I said, we just temporally halt our oil exploration to gain more support. CN coast guard is just a big failure, cant fight wt our coast guard. When we gain enough support from US-Russia-India, then we will teach the useless PLAN a lesson

 

[xiao qi]

The Khmer are easy to be manipulated. Look, Polpot and his murder gang staged an extreme form of Chinese style mass killing and cultural destruction. Cambodia's entire history, scripts, books including teachers were destroyed and butchered. Only the ancient inscriptions in temples remain. There was nothing left. Zero. Vietnam had rebuilt completely the entire system. Nevertheless the cambodians hate Vietnam. It is surreal. I am not sure who hates VN more: the Chinese or the Khmer?

The Chinese have no reason to hate Vietnam like we had no reason to hate Khmer, look down maybe a little bit like the rich people look down the poor people.You were born and lived in Germany, It maybe is the reason why You don't really understand the Chinese like me. When Vietnam is strong same as Japan or Korea so Let's think about the Chinese's emotion toward us. Vietnamese are tough, yes, Vietnamese are dangerous and need to care, Yes, the ant can kill the elephant. Yes, but no more. They don't need to attack our because we are inferior about the economy, technology, people...we are weak. So they will not care Vietnam so much. Why they need to hate a person who is not enough power to become their competitor.
I don't understand why between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, I extremely don't like the Korean. Japanese ( Vietnamese people almost think they are good, superior etc but I dont think like that). Chinese, uhm, I admit one thing, If Vietnam is larger and had the population like them. All nations in the world will be beaten

 

[Carlosa]

Analysis: US, allies slow Beijing’s South China Sea momentum
https://apnews.com/88824aec36f440ba...n=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — With the rise of a friendly leader in the Philippines, China has been spared a vocal adversary in the disputed South China Sea. In the process, it has gained momentum despite last year’s ruling by an arbitration tribunal that invalidated its expansive claims in the disputed waters.

The rapprochement between President Rodrigo Duterte and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, defused a tense standoff between the Asian neighbors last year at the disputed Scarborough Shoal, where China allowed Filipinos back to fish in October as years of thorny relations began to brighten.

As President Donald Trump succeeded Barack Obama, who had challenged China’s assertive advances in the disputed sea, U.S. allies wondered if Trump would press America’s role as a regional counterbalance to the Asian powerhouse.

An annual summit of Asia-Pacific nations hosted by the Philippines over the weekend, however, delivered a reality check to Beijing.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met his Australian and Japanese counterparts on the sidelines of the meetings in Manila of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. After their meeting, they issued a joint statement that blasted aggressive actions in the contested offshore territories — without, of course, naming Beijing directly, in line with diplomatic practice.

Nevertheless, China quickly voiced its irritation.

Its top diplomat said that while his country and the 10-nation ASEAN bloc “all fully recognized that the situation in the South China Sea is showing signs of changes and things are moving toward a positive direction,” some countries outside the region “are not seeing the positive changes” and are holding onto a mindset that “still stays in the past.”

After the Philippines, ASEAN’s leader this year, hosted the first of three major summits of the bloc in April, Duterte issued a traditional chairman’s statement that dropped mention of contentious issues, including Beijing’s island constructions in disputed reefs that China has lobbied to be struck out of such high-profile communiques. For China, it was seen as a diplomatic coup.

Closeted in their annual gathering in Manila over the weekend, however, ASEAN foreign ministers wrangled over the tone and wordings to depict the territorial rifts involving China and five other governments in their joint statement, which unlike the chairman’s statement is a negotiated document.

A draft of the ASEAN ministerial statement seen by The Associated Press before it was finalized and made public provided a glimpse of the closed-door intramurals, with Vietnam insisting on stronger language against China’s increasingly assertive actions in the busy waters.

Vietnamese diplomats, for example, insisted on mentioning concern over “extended construction” in the contested waters. Cambodia, a Chinese ally, deferred a vote on the inclusion of worries over militarization.

The Philippines was one of the countries that opposed mention of land reclamation and militarization in the communique, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano acknowledged in a news conference late Tuesday. China, he said, threatened to end future talks aimed at resolving conflicts if the arbitration ruling was mentioned in the statement.

“We won’t make any progress,” Cayetano said. “China already said if you talk about the arbitration award there is no talks.”

The protracted quibblings delayed the statement’s release, two Southeast Asian diplomats told the AP. When it was issued a day later, the joint ministerial statement — surprisingly — mentioned land reclamation and militarization and, to Beijing’s certain dismay, carried a vague reference to the arbitration ruling: “full respect for diplomatic and legal process.”

Wang played down mention of the issues, including land reclamation, that critics have used to refer to China’s massive island constructions in the South China Sea.

The next battle is over a proposed “code of conduct,” which aims to stymie aggressive behavior in the disputed sea, including new construction and military fortifications. China concluded talks with ASEAN for a negotiating framework for the nonaggression code, a baby step both sides hailed as a milestone.

Most ASEAN states, including the Philippines, back a legally binding code. China wants otherwise and opposes mention of the contentious issues, including arbitration and a conflict-resolution arrangement, given its preference to solve the conflicts through one-on-one negotiation with its smaller rival claimants. With ASEAN unable to do anything unless it acquiesces to China’s wishes, it relented to reach a consensus. Proponents of the rule of law were dismayed.

The agreed framework “is a lowest-common-denominator effort. It lacks teeth because China has opposed making it legally binding and refused to include a dispute settlement mechanism,” said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“With ASEAN itself divided and China’s sway over individual ASEAN members growing,” Glaser said, “this is an unsurprising even if disappointing development.”

Wang announced at the Manila meetings that China would be ready to start negotiations for the maritime code when its leader travels to the Philippines and joins ASEAN heads of state in November.

But first, he said, in a shot at the United States, the situation has to be stable and free of “major disruption from outside parties.”

The United States, Australia and Japan immediately weighed in, urging China and ASEAN “to ensure that the code of conduct be finalized in a timely manner, and that it be legally binding, meaningful, effective, and consistent with international law.”

“Outside parties like the U.S. will do what they think is needed to promote peace and stability in the region,” Glaser said. “If China opposes those actions, so be it.”

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Jim Gomez, chief correspondent for the AP in the Philippines, has covered security, terrorism and foreign policy issues in Southeast Asia for more than two decades.

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Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.

 

[Viet]

The Chinese have no reason to hate Vietnam like we had no reason to hate Khmer, look down maybe a little bit like the rich people look down the poor people.You were born and lived in Germany, It maybe is the reason why You don't really understand the Chinese like me. When Vietnam is strong same as Japan or Korea so Let's think about the Chinese's emotion toward us. Vietnamese are tough, yes, Vietnamese are dangerous and need to care, Yes, the ant can kill the elephant. Yes, but no more. They don't need to attack our because we are inferior about the economy, technology, people...we are weak. So they will not care Vietnam so much. Why they need to hate a person who is not enough power to become their competitor.
I don't understand why between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, I extremely don't like the Korean. Japanese ( Vietnamese people almost think they are good, superior etc but I dont think like that). Chinese, uhm, I admit one thing, If Vietnam is larger and had the population like them. All nations in the world will be beaten

Sis I was born in VN. The Chinese have 1,000 reasons to hate VN. To understand one should read the history of VN and CN. It is not about rich and poor, neither superior nor inferior. It has to do with different strategic interests.