Vietnam orders media to promote its ocean strategy

[Viet]

A satellite image of the Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base in 2013.
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images


The Vietnamese government has launched a national campaign to promote its maritime policies as the ruling party pledges to explore “all available legal tools” to defend its interests amid China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

A government order stipulates that by 2025, all domestic media outlets are required to have a dedicated section on Vietnam’s sea and ocean strategy, and their entire editorial staffs must have the necessary knowledge and understanding of international and domestic laws on the sea.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese authorities have banned all tourist activities on two islets adjacent to the strategic Cam Ranh Bay that is undergoing intensive development into an advanced naval base, home to its submarines.

Vietnam has the largest submersible fleet in Southeast Asia with six Kilo-class subs, bought from Russia at a cost of U.S. $1.8 billion.

Tour guides and witnesses told Radio Free Asia, an online affiliate of Benar News, that since April, the two islands of Binh Ba and Binh Hung in Cam Ranh Bay, Khanh Hoa province, have become off limits to foreign visitors. Vietnamese nationals still have limited access to the scenic islets, a stone’s throw from the docked frigates.

“Eventually, even Vietnamese tourists will not be allowed on Ba Binh,” said Binh, a tour operator who wanted to be known only by his first name.
“So, my advice is to visit it while you can,” he said.

Russian Udaloy-class destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov is docked at Cam Ranh port on June 25, 2022. [Sputnik]

Modern naval base
Cam Ranh Bay is a well-known deep-water port in central Vietnam, only 300 km from Ho Chi Minh City. It was used by the French, and subsequently, the U.S. Navy until the end of the Vietnam War.

In 1979 the Soviet Union signed a 25-year lease of Cam Ranh with the Vietnamese and spent a large sum of money to develop it into a major base for the Soviet Pacific Fleet. But Russia withdrew from the base in 2002, citing increased rent and changing priorities.

Hanoi had since announced a so-called “three nos” policy – no alliances, no foreign bases on its territory and no alignment with a second country against a third – that means foreign navies will not be allowed to set up bases in Cam Ranh.

However, a logistic facility has been established to offer repair and maintenance services to foreign ships, including Russian and U.S. warships. Moscow is maintaining a listening station in Cam Ranh Bay and has indicated that it is considering a comeback, according to Russian media.

Three warships of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet led by the Udaloy-class anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov visited Cam Ranh between June 25 and 28.

With 50 ships and 23 submarines, the Pacific Fleet is Russia’s second largest naval fleet after the Black Sea Fleet which is involved in the war in Ukraine.

U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea
A Russian presence may be seen as a counterweight for China-U.S. competition in the South China Sea, analysts said.
Beijing claims “historical rights” over almost 80 percent of the contested waterway.

With China apparently gaining a foothold in the region, at the Ream naval base in Cambodia, Cam Ranh may become even more important strategically to other regional players.

On June 19 Vietnam protested against China’s drills near the Paracel islands, claimed by both countries but occupied entirely by China.

Hanoi and five other claimants in the South China Sea are struggling to agree on a Code of Conduct in the contested sea, where the U.S. and allies have been challenging China’s territorial claims with their freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs).

Vietnamese experts are calling for a more active application of legal documents to assert the country’s sovereignty in the South China Sea, especially as 2022 is the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 10th anniversary of Vietnam’s own Law of the Sea.

Tran Cong Truc, former head of Vietnam’s Border Committee, said UNCLOS “paved a clear legal corridor for countries to defend their lawful rights,” and needed to be “properly utilized.”

A series of special events are being held to commemorate the anniversaries, as well as to highlight the importance of this “legal corridor.”

“UNCLOS and Vietnam’s Law of the Sea are the two main legal tools for the fight for our rights,” Senior Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, former vice minister of defense, was quoted by the People’s Army newspaper as saying.

“Vietnam should only consider military actions as the last resort after exhausting all other options,” he said.

Vietnam orders media to promote its ocean strategy

The campaign comes as the country develops Cam Ranh Bay’s naval facilities to counter China’s presence.

www.benarnews.org

 

[REhorror]

Not sure to trust this news, due to Radio Free Asia being US CIA.

 

[etylo]

A satellite image of the Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base in 2013.
DigitalGlobe via Getty Images


The Vietnamese government has launched a national campaign to promote its maritime policies as the ruling party pledges to explore “all available legal tools” to defend its interests amid China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

A government order stipulates that by 2025, all domestic media outlets are required to have a dedicated section on Vietnam’s sea and ocean strategy, and their entire editorial staffs must have the necessary knowledge and understanding of international and domestic laws on the sea.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese authorities have banned all tourist activities on two islets adjacent to the strategic Cam Ranh Bay that is undergoing intensive development into an advanced naval base, home to its submarines.

Vietnam has the largest submersible fleet in Southeast Asia with six Kilo-class subs, bought from Russia at a cost of U.S. $1.8 billion.

Tour guides and witnesses told Radio Free Asia, an online affiliate of Benar News, that since April, the two islands of Binh Ba and Binh Hung in Cam Ranh Bay, Khanh Hoa province, have become off limits to foreign visitors. Vietnamese nationals still have limited access to the scenic islets, a stone’s throw from the docked frigates.

“Eventually, even Vietnamese tourists will not be allowed on Ba Binh,” said Binh, a tour operator who wanted to be known only by his first name.
“So, my advice is to visit it while you can,” he said.

Russian Udaloy-class destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov is docked at Cam Ranh port on June 25, 2022. [Sputnik]

Modern naval base
Cam Ranh Bay is a well-known deep-water port in central Vietnam, only 300 km from Ho Chi Minh City. It was used by the French, and subsequently, the U.S. Navy until the end of the Vietnam War.

In 1979 the Soviet Union signed a 25-year lease of Cam Ranh with the Vietnamese and spent a large sum of money to develop it into a major base for the Soviet Pacific Fleet. But Russia withdrew from the base in 2002, citing increased rent and changing priorities.

Hanoi had since announced a so-called “three nos” policy – no alliances, no foreign bases on its territory and no alignment with a second country against a third – that means foreign navies will not be allowed to set up bases in Cam Ranh.

However, a logistic facility has been established to offer repair and maintenance services to foreign ships, including Russian and U.S. warships. Moscow is maintaining a listening station in Cam Ranh Bay and has indicated that it is considering a comeback, according to Russian media.

Three warships of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet led by the Udaloy-class anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov visited Cam Ranh between June 25 and 28.

With 50 ships and 23 submarines, the Pacific Fleet is Russia’s second largest naval fleet after the Black Sea Fleet which is involved in the war in Ukraine.

U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea
A Russian presence may be seen as a counterweight for China-U.S. competition in the South China Sea, analysts said.
Beijing claims “historical rights” over almost 80 percent of the contested waterway.

With China apparently gaining a foothold in the region, at the Ream naval base in Cambodia, Cam Ranh may become even more important strategically to other regional players.

On June 19 Vietnam protested against China’s drills near the Paracel islands, claimed by both countries but occupied entirely by China.

Hanoi and five other claimants in the South China Sea are struggling to agree on a Code of Conduct in the contested sea, where the U.S. and allies have been challenging China’s territorial claims with their freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs).

Vietnamese experts are calling for a more active application of legal documents to assert the country’s sovereignty in the South China Sea, especially as 2022 is the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 10th anniversary of Vietnam’s own Law of the Sea.

Tran Cong Truc, former head of Vietnam’s Border Committee, said UNCLOS “paved a clear legal corridor for countries to defend their lawful rights,” and needed to be “properly utilized.”

A series of special events are being held to commemorate the anniversaries, as well as to highlight the importance of this “legal corridor.”

“UNCLOS and Vietnam’s Law of the Sea are the two main legal tools for the fight for our rights,” Senior Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, former vice minister of defense, was quoted by the People’s Army newspaper as saying.

“Vietnam should only consider military actions as the last resort after exhausting all other options,” he said.

Vietnam orders media to promote its ocean strategy

The campaign comes as the country develops Cam Ranh Bay’s naval facilities to counter China’s presence.

www.benarnews.org

You Viets also have the outrageous claims of vast number of island reefs and large part of south China sea right up to the sea waters of Chinese Islands Hainan and others.

 

[Viet]

You Viets also have the outrageous claims of vast number of island reefs and large part of south China sea right up to the sea waters of Chinese Islands Hainan and others.

Don’t spread fake news!
It’s China that claims such things close to our beaches.
I give you a free tip: try stealing from the Philippines.

 

[etylo]

Don’t spread fake news!
It’s China that claims such things close to our beaches.
I give you a free tip: try stealing from the Philippines.

China doesn't steal anythings from Vietnam and Philippines. It's you people including Viets and Filipinos steal isands from China.

 

[Viet]

China doesn't steal anythings from Vietnam and Philippines. It's you people including Viets and Philippines steal isands from China.

View attachment 857719

Beware we will come and steal your underwear.

 

[etylo]

Beware we will come and steal your underwear.

Be careful, your hands will be cutoff !

 

[kankan326]

The conceit of defeating US became a burden for Vietnamese. It hurt them badly in past decades and will hurt them for long. I can understand India being hostile to China as it's a big neighbour country. A small country like Vietam hates its giant neighbour so much. Which is by no means a good choice. US allowed Japan and S.Korea to become big economic powers because these two countries are extremely pro-US. China will never allowed Vietnam to become next Japan or S.Korea. Vietnam is doomed.

 

[MH.Yang]

When our ancestors' warships sailed on the South China Sea, Vietnamese ancestors were still dancing around the fire.
Now they dare to claim sovereignty over the South China Sea.

 

[etylo]

When our ancestors' warships sailed on the South China Sea, Vietnamese ancestors were still dancing around the fire.
Now they dare to claim sovereignty over the South China Sea.

Exactly, these people in Vietnam and Philippines are stealing the islands in south China sea from China. According to international laws, whichever country discovered and traditionally utilized the islands and sea water predominantly has the right to claim those islands are theirs.

 

[MH.Yang]

Exactly, these people in Vietnam and Philippines are stealing the islands in south China sea from China. According to international laws, whichever country discovered and traditionally utilized the islands and sea water predominantly has the right to claim those are theirs.

Ancient Chinese coins and other cultural relics have been excavated on these islands. In fact, Vietnamese and Filipinos also understand that their ancestors could not have entered the South China Sea earlier than the Chinese. Their claims come purely from greed, irrational greed.

 

[Song Hong]

China has allowed Vietnam to reclaim large amount of Island in SCS without protesting. De facto, China probably communicated to Vietnam the 9 dash line is movable. What is the problem then?

Below are Vietnam sprately and China is not making any noise. It is not as if when China reclaim her Sprately the whole world cry foul.

 

[Viet]

Ancient Chinese coins and other cultural relics have been excavated on these islands. In fact, Vietnamese and Filipinos also understand that their ancestors could not have entered the South China Sea earlier than the Chinese. Their claims come purely from greed, irrational greed.

I am not, you seem to be an expert of cultural relics but I don’t think you can use chinese pirates, smugglers as witnesses. We live next to the seas, while you came from central plains. Thousands of miles away. how comes that you arrived earlier than us? You had spaceships something?

 

[MH.Yang]

I am not, you seem to be an expert of cultural relics but I don’t think you can use chinese pirates, smugglers as witnesses.

You admit that Vietnamese are even later than Chinese pirates and businessmen, let alone Chinese govt warships.

 

[etylo]

I am not, you seem to be an expert of cultural relics but I don’t think you can use chinese pirates, smugglers as witnesses.

Don't slander talk Chinese, those are Chinese sailors. fishermen and settlers who left their footprints, not like you Viets were none present in the area.