The latest spat between China and Vietnam looks dangerously close to escalating. China needs to take the lead in finding a solution.
The escalating dispute between China and Vietnam over contested waters in the South China Sea couldn’t have come at a worse time for Beijing. Less than a year ago, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton put China on notice by declaring that the peace and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is in the US national interest, and she not too subtly called on China to resolve its territorial disputes with its neighbours through peaceful means and according to international laws.
As we now know, Clinton’s remarks in Hanoi in July 2010 marked a watershed in two important aspects. It decisively shifted the perception of the balance of power in the region. Prior to the Clinton statement, China was thought to have gained the upper hand in the region through years of painstakingly pursuing a ‘charm offensive.’ After the Clinton shock, which all Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries secretly cheered, China appeared to have been isolated on the issue of territorial disputes in the South China Sea. In addition, China’s clumsy response, consisting of thinly veiled threats to its neighbours, only added to the series of diplomatic blunders that made 2010 the worst year in Chinese foreign policy since 1989.
To regain its diplomatic initiative and repair self-inflicted damage, China has recently embarked on another charm offensive that has yielded some encouraging results. Ties with the United States have stabilized since Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Washington in January. US-China military-to-military dialogue has resumed. Even relations with Japan have improved considerably in recent months.
So at this stage, an ugly and potentially dangerous clash with Vietnam is the last thing China wants.
But at the same time, Beijing also needs to show that it won’t compromise on territorial disputes. Unfortunately, in Vietnam, China now encounters an equally tough and uncompromising contestant.
Of all the territorial claims in the South China Sea, the Sino-Vietnamese dispute is the most likely to lead to armed conflict. First, both countries have engaged in naval skirmishes in the South China Sea before. In 1974, the Chinese navy gained complete control of the Paracel islands after routing the South Vietnamese navy. In 1988, China and Vietnam fought a brief naval battle in the Spratlys. Second, Chinese claims in the Spratlys are generally considered weak under international law because, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, China would have difficulty proving the reefs it currently occupies meet the standards of self-sustaining and inhabitable islands (which then will have a 200 miles exclusive economic zone, or EEZ). But that isn’t the case with the Paracels, which China has effective control over, but which Vietnam continues to claim. The 200-mile EEZ of the Paracels and the 200-mile EEZ extending from Vietnam’s coastal line overlap. According to reports, the incident in which a Chinese patrol boat severed the multi-million dollar seismic survey cable operated by a PetroVietnam research vessel took place in this disputed zone.
Photo Credit: Uniphoto Press
View as Single Page
Reddit
Digg
StumbleUpon
Delicious
Technorati
Yahoo
Google
Plurk
ozivan
Breaking News…Breaking News..!!!
Can all of us take a moment to read the latest BBC News article dated 17th June 2011 about the deadly Agent Orange (poison dioxin) used by the US ?
BBC news reported that US forces sprayed 12 million gallons of the poisonous defoliant during the Vietnam war. 3 million Vietnamese…mainly post war children !!! suffered from various deformities and health problems while 400,000 have died from it.
I was in Vietnam once some 15 years ago, I actually seen children with misshaped faces, so many of them have flat sunken noses like those of pig’s noses, ghastly dead deformed babies in preserved bottles in war museums, etc.
We should all reset our perspective.
The South China Seas’ spat between Vietnam/China is childplay.
Watch now…The post war Vietnamese Government is laying out the red carpet for Hillary Clinton and the US 7th Fleet.
John Chan
Vietnam has a severe case of national Stockholm syndrome. They missed the abuses from their ex-colonial White master and abuser.
Stockholm syndrome describes a real paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors and abusers. Victnamese essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their ex-colonial White masters and abusers as an act of kindness. That’s why Vietnamese are welcoming their ex slaughter and abuser back with red carpet, so that they can contiune to enjoy the abuses dished out by their ex-slaughter and abuser.
Ole
Vietnamese and most people in the world are tolerant. They will forgive whenever they can. Once the war is over they still can make friends.
Only Chinese behold to their hatred and revenge against ex-enemies. That’s why Chinese dont make friends with the rest of the world and their neighbours. They have only themselves to blame.
Chinese people like you always try to pass hatred and revenge mindset to the next generation. That mentality can do no goods for you and make other people against you.
Tieu Dan
To John Chan,
You don’t know what you are saying. Let me tell you something that YOU DO NOT want to know:
1. Had never, ever, never, ever in the history, Vietnam been a colony of the U.S.
2. China had been dominating Vietnam for over one thousand years. Over that one thousand years, the Chinese had prohibited the Vietnamese from getting any education, abandon the Vietnamese’s own culture, forced the Vietnamese to learn and adapt all the Chinese’s culture.
WHO IS THE VIETNAMESE’S EX-COLONIAL MASTER AND ABUSER?
I have 2 advices for you:
1. Go back home and learn more history.
2. “You rather stay quite and let people think you are dumb than to speak up and clear up all the doubt.”
Dai Viet
John Chan, you are too proud of yourself. How many times Chinese people became slaves do you remember? It is history and innocent people suffered. And now you want to became those who invaded your country? A war will collapse China with so many internal problems. I think Chinese goverment is smart not let that happen. I hope…
Rachel
These days, Vietnam and China rise up their tension because of the Spratly’s territory problem. The Spratly Islands are in the South China Sea. June 9 incident between China and Vietnam broke up in the area. Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nga has said, “A Chinese fishing boat and two Fishery Administration vessels cut the cables of Viking II, a Vietnamese oil and gas exploration ship that was making a seismic survey in Vietnam’s”
However, China’s spokesman Hong said, “The Vietnamese ships dragged Chinese fishing boats backward for about an hour,” also “the eviction made the nets of a [Chinese] fishing boat’s tangle with the cables of a Vietnamese oil and gas exploration ship that was illegally operating at the scene.” When asked by a reporter to comment on Vietnam’s claim that Chinese fishing boats have been cutting Vietnamese ships’ cables, Hong dismissed the allegations as “absolutely contrary to the truth.”
This case is very similar to the case of the Senkaku Islands territory dispute. Japan incorporated the islands under the administration of Okinawa. The Senkaku Islands dispute concerns a group of uninhabited islands which have been claimed by both the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 1971. Sep 7th 2010 Chinese ship collided Japanese Coast Guard ships around the Senkaku Islands.
Everybody have watched the video, so people knew the Chinese ship revved an engine, black smoke rose, the Chinese ship sped up, and the Chinese captain made a frontal assault to Japanese coast guard ship. However, Chinese spokeswoman said Japanese coast guard ships hit a Chinese ship. People have already known what China said are lies.
The Chinese believe that telling lies 100 times, this could have lead to becoming a true story from the lies. We have to be careful. The U.S. has made several public statements making clear that the Chinese regime’s attempts to control the waters are contrary to international law and will meet with resistance.
John Chan
@Rachel,
Ryukyu is the proper name for the place called Okinawa, Ryukyu is a Chinese protectorate that Imperial Japan has occupied illegally under assistance of Imperial USA, and the arrangement is the reward to Japan as accomplice of imperialist USA to encroach Chinese territory.
Imperial colonist Japanese needs to be expelled from Ryukyu, so that Ryukyu people can recover their freedom and identity. UN should investigate Japanese and American war crimes of racial and culture genocide they committed on the Ryukyu people.
Small Chinese fishing boat tried to fled the ramming form the huge JCG cutters which is 10 times its size, yet Japanese and the American twisted the fact and accused the Chinese fishing boat was at fault. It proves that Japanese has not changed their fascist ruthless nature, JCS will run over any small and helpless boats with butchers’ cruelty.
In deed Japanese continue their fascist tradition, they are the true believers of Joseph Goebbels, as Rachel confessed telling lies 100 times, it will become true; and the American is teaching Japanese how to out lie Joseph Goebbel. Rachel is demonstrating American’s talent of manipulating news in his comment.
Only USA refuses to sign the UNCLOS, it is the way USA makes it clear to the world that it respects nobody’s maritime sovereignty regardless EEZ or not, USA will bombard anybody into submission if they refuse let USA controls their coastline.
Skeptical
If you actually think about the physics of it, it’s obvious that the Chinese are telling the truth there. The coast guard vessel is much more modern, equipped with radar and powered sufficiently for it to get out of the way on time, even if the fishing boat is charging at maximum acceleration (which isn’t very high in the first place). The Japanese made no effort to avoid the fishing boat, thus it can be concluded that they wanted the collision to happen.
somebody
Why dont you go on youtube and search for the video of the incident yourself. It clearly showed that Chinese fishing boat attempted hit Japanese vessel. Oh wait, youtube is banned in China, my bad!!!
Dai Viet
Good point. How can they say?
wilson
The Vietnam-favors here just want to point the simple fact that the incidents took place in undisputed area with clear maps and figures. And the Chinese took initiatives of the tension. I don’t see any argument proved this statement is wrong.
Just imagine the same thing happened with Chinese boats. Vietnamese understands that if this happens, the Chinese will take it as a reason to start a war. The only things they can do are diplomatic actions and words. And their government was under criticism for being too soft and even coward by the resident inside and outside the country. They are pushed by both Chinese leaders and their people.
Remember many incidents happen so far (boats captured, shooting fishermen, cable cut) were at the expense of Vietnamese and gain of the Chinese.
Can anyone shows me a map that Vietnam exploited oil from the disputed area? I really want to knows because as far as I know, they only extract oil in their own water farther south and the most imaginable people would never think it belongs to China.
John Chan
@wilson, you are wrong, you are committing perjury in order to smear China because you are using conjecture as fact. Chinese patrol boats were patrolling where they should patrol. If Vietnam does not want to provoke confrontation, they should resolve disputes peacefully.
You are making accusation even without knowing the area of dispute, your bigotry surely make red necks feel proud.
Wilson, why don’t you get up your fat butt and do some search yourself, with a little brain you can find what you want on the internet.
Well said
Well said, well said indeed
Joanna
Wow… John Chan is giving himself compliments… :)
somebody
John Chan
“Chinese patrol boats were patrolling where they should patrol”
Can you give the coordinates of the incident before you say Chinese should patrol there. Chinese boats were well inside EEZ of Vietnam.
Dai Viet
I have just told my little son: “you may go to beach and pee to the sea, and the a chinese warship without big guns appear and said: it is the sea of China, I will shoot you”. Ha ha, what is a big ambition.
Observer
To the worldwide readers of the Diplomat, here is a picture of China’s ridiculous and outrageous “tongue of cow” whole claim in the East Sea/South China Sea.
Source = http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13796958
In the picture, you can see the blue dots lines, they are based on UNCLOS 200 miles EEZ. Indonesia, Vietnam, Phillipines, Brunei, Malaysia, etc. are all ok with that.
Then you can see the red dots lines of China’s claim. It is against the norm, against international standard and law, against reasonable and common sense.
Now you know why those nations are up and against China’s ridiculous claims based on unfound “historic” evidences? Do you see India pulls a stunt like that in India Ocean? Do you see the US does that in Pacific Ocean? Do you see any nations on Earth do such a thing as China?
John Chan
@Observer, please stop smears China with your anti-China propaganda. China has evidence to support her claim; if all those ASEAN nations have evidence stronger than China’s they will all be showing their evidence instead of using EEZ as their only defence.
India occupies Burmese islands right up to Burma’s coast, Japan occupies Ryukyu’s islands right uo to ROC’s coast, and the US occupies other people’s islands in Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. Those nations’ claims give ridiculous a totally new meaning.
terex
India doesnt occupy any burma island!!
its other way,india has gifted an island to burma which you chinese want to use it!
but dont worry,we are in 100 km perimeter,we will do pre-emptive strike if any chinese naval vessel enters bay of bengal and indian ocean
Chi Hung Le
@ Chan: What are your evidences?
Dai Viet
And he will say: “we have historic evidents from millions years ago, as our Kings said” :)
Frank
Let us summarize all these good discussions.
How China Can Avoid Next Conflict?
By putting military pressure to Vietnam. Bankrupt Vietnam !!!
Run Arms Race against Vietnam. Support Hmong (Miao) people for their struggle against Vietnam. Establish military relation with Laos and ask Laos for passage when Vietnam wants a real war. Finally, build more warships.
That is the ONLY way to avoid a conflict with Vietnam.
Withdraw is not an option.
John Chan
I don’t think China needs to go such length to convince Vietnam it is better to sit down and negotiate. And Vietnam is better to talk to China fast before China puts Varyag to Sea. The strong stance Vietnam has taken is due to its geography advantage in the South China Sea, Varyag will eliminate that advantage and make those islands occupied by Vietnam illegally a liability for Vietnam.
Regarding Miao and Laos, those are for long term consideration.
Lemon
You guys have said that several times. Last time your “boss” Yang Zi scared the hell out of my 21-year old cat.
Generally, I don’t like war (who does ?). But in this particular case, I don’t say no, go ahead make your day. Why you might ask ? Delighted to see those chicks in Hanoi … gone for good.
But I believe, deep down you do want to keep your chicks in power. This is a golden opportunity for china to colonize VN (in a new way). VN with a new leadership such as CHHV, story would be totally different.
BP
Just some ‘Clubs’ from Russia then the chinese ‘Varyag’, a.k.a’the floating casino’ will go see the Titanic at the bottom of the sea for good!Not a global power yet, but behaving just like a rogue beast disregarding any kind of laws and rules, China is so dangerous to the whole world! The south china sea belongs to all Southeast Asian countries and the world, and absolutely not China’s own lake! Thus, China should behave itself before it’s too late!!
John Chan
@BP, people like you in the West, no wonder PLA felt they are confident. The only thing you have is a big mouth.
I am an armchair military enthusiast; here is the scenario I will play. I would park Varyag outside the reach of Vietnamese Su-27/30 and some 052/054 along the straight-line of the Su-27/30 to the Vietnamese occupied islands. China can destroy Vietnamese Su-27/30 simple using fuel consumption as a weapon. If PLA pilots’ fingers are itch, they can take off from Varyag after Vietnamese Su-27/30s on the way home, then shoot them from the back instead of letting them dropping off the sky.
Without air cover, Vietnamese navy is doomed. When Vietnamese Su-27/30 refuses to take the bait, then China can evict the Vietnamese from those islands peacefully. After that there is no more EEZ disputes.
At the best USA can do is to supply info to the Vietnamese, unless they want to test whether China’s ASBM is a bluff, or the 7th fleet can face the harassment from China’s fishing fleet like Impeccable.
Well, BP, you better figure out idea to help the Vietnamese instead of just trashing the Varyag, because PLA are professionals, they are way better than what I can think of in a few minutes.
BTW, BP better withholds the money they pay Vietnam for the illegal oil/gas they got from South China Sea. In addition BP needs some fund to pay penalty that China would levy on them.
Please stop the hierocracy, USA and the West are the danger of the world, they are bombing and killing all over the world non-stop since WWII. USA takes the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as it own lakes. USA is the perpetrator of the ill deeds in South China Sea. Your hubris is hard to have word to describe.
China just takes care of its internal affairs.
BP
John chan,
Just try it my armchair strategist! You will see all your junk aircrafts (J10,15,18,20!) and warships go see your Mao & Deng by china bullet trains! Remember NVN had a lot of experiences in dealing with the most advanced and seasoned air force in the world (even shot down B52s), the US Air Force! So, china air force is nothing to VN especially it had no experience in dog-fight like the Vietnamese! With advanced anti-ship missiles and ground-to-air missiles, VN will wreak havoc to the PLA air & naval forces! And China marine is nothing to the US marines (and the latter already knew how tough those NVAs were!). Plus, the geographic position of south china sea is not helpful for china in any conflicts with its neighbors! people could see the short-lived china ‘floating casino’ go down the sea at the onset of the war!! Russian anti-ship missiles are actually far more dangerous than china df21d(?) because they could be launched from any places even by mobile containers! VN should buy those stuffs immediately to teach china navy an unforgettable lesson so it can know how to live peacefully with its neighbors!!
Scott
The Varyag isn’t finished yet. It’s still sitting in Dalian shipyards.
Dai Viet
Sorry to say. Stupid thinking.
hahaha
Breaking news!..
The news just in, China was successfully invented a new kind of weapons, programmed robots that can blog, chat online. Unfortunately the programmed robots are not advanced enough yet. Right now robots seems not able to know/undestand what is right from wrong, just one way thinking and often due to glitches they can say things that we are not sure if it is stupid or crazy. But “historical evidences” show that the chinese will imrpove their programmed robots in a peaceful way..
the southeastasian
Very good comments! ” Historic evidences” haven been shown that the most peaceful way to improve the robots like John Chan, Frank would be the Culture Revolution II.
Observer
@ Mr Pei, the article author – you said and I quote “In 1974, the Chinese navy gained complete control of the Paracel islands after routing the South Vietnamese navy”
You implied that South Vietnam and China were at war at that time but it was not true. Chinese attacked and murdered South Vietnamese sailors WITHOUT any provocations from South Vietnam. Don’t take my words for it. Link to support my statements = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Paracel
You also said “Chinese claims in the Spratlys are generally considered weak under international law”. Correction, Chinese claims in the Paracels and Spratlys or anywhere else in the East Sea/South China Sea are laughable at best by any international law. If China has such “historic and undisputed” evidences, then why China has not present the so called evidences to the whole world? China is the one that kept saying let negotiate one on one. Sure, let the bully/invader controls the rules of the game.
Sure, let me and a few hired thugs invade your house when you were away, then I will tell you that you have to give up ½ of your house to me because I have “undisputed and historic” evidences that your house was mine while I never let you or anyone else see the evidences. How would you like that?
To the readers of the Diplomat, do you think that is acceptable? Do you think it is fair? You make the call.
ProblemResolve
China emphasizes peaceful means this way who ever have greater military power should take what ever it want from the weaker, what are you fighting for you may never win after all, so just give us what we want no war is needed so that is PEACE. You should know that false foul peace is sometime even worser than the war itseft. Vietnam and Philippine are the first but not be the last if the China success in it way of negotiation. Because the China oil thirsty main target is the most southern peak of it 9 dash line claimation. It mean some where near Malaysia or Brunei. The only chance to keep China at bay not spread it foul peace around is support Vietnam, Philippine and to solve the dispute with China peaceful by the international law. If you really thing that war is someone else problem and you should watch and cheerup both side for a little more interesting. I suggest Vietnam and Philippine should give up and let’s see the true ambitious of that peaceful China to other member of ASEAN. But it is the wrost case scenario when the good must fear the bad, when the citizen must fear the criminal just because of it have more weapon and more power and the police and justice is no where to be found.
I sincery hope the ASEAN should UNION and protect each other agains the injustice request from that high sea robber. Remember “united we stand divided we fall”. The US or any force of UN to execute the justice should join to maintenance the law and order. We not searching for fight but we must prevent crime to happen.
The right way to resolve this problem peaceful is throught reason of law and justice with evidence and have strong enought observer like US or UN to make sure the neither side violent the law.
Frank
Nobody will support Vietnam as long as Vietnam is a communist state.
ProblemResolve
Oh come on. It’s not problem of Comunist, Nationist, Democracy or Republic as well as it not problem of Black, White and Yellow. It’s problem of brutal, crime vs order and justice. You dont want your chidrent grow up and think that the best job in the world should be robber as it easy to take a way other’s valuable and it not suffer any consequence of law and justice. It look like you really want the world come back to the Dark Age when the human treat other human like the savage beast.
Frank’s father
@Frank, my son, you are big body guy but dont have any cell in brain.
Vietnam is communist, really true communist so they only want peace, happiness, freedom to their people and never harm or threaten others. China, however, in the ‘mark’ of fake communist,is invading and threatening small countries, producing fake products, playing tricks in trade, doing counter-cultural and inhuman things all over the world and even to Chinese people.
John Chan
Here we go again, Indians are revealing their true color. When they cannot win a debate, they resort to name calling in such way it reflects how people are low grade and uneducated in India.
It is sad, from time to time such morally decayed bloggers come and remind the world the poor quality of such nation that only knows pious gesture and nothing else.
Can they use reason and logic to present their argument and persuade the readers? Or is it because their presentation capability is limited?
the southeastasian
@John Chan,@the author: The author and you are right (“The 200-mile EEZ of the Paracels and the 200-mile EEZ extending from Vietnam’s coastal line overlap”, “Nation can get the 12/200 mile border from their sovereign territory as per UNCLOS, but where the maritime borders of two countries overlap, the boundary is determined by treaty in most cases or, they can splits the difference as a temporary measure before a more permanent solution can be found”. But HE IS CLEVER and want to mislead the international community in line with the misinformation compaign of PRC. And YOU ARE SO STUPID to clarify me about UNCLOS. This accident is happened not in the overlapping area between the 200-mile EEZ of the Paracels and the 200-mile EEZ extending from Vietnam’s coastal line, but in the one between the U-shaped line and 200-mile EEZ extending from Vietnam’s coastal line. For your knowledge, this Chinese U-shaped dashed line is even not geographically determinate! That is a Chinese Innovation and Invention. Congratulations!
the southeastasian
@Sinodefender: “How are the Chinese greedy compared to the Westerners taking over the Americas and colonizing Africa?”
Because the Chinese were weak and inward-looking at the time. They were intimidated by smaller countries like Japan, Great Britain etc… Now they feel strong enough to intimidate their smaller neighboring countries. Sothat they feel to be free from their inferior complex.
Gaining the EEZ of Vietnam is only the first step. The final goal is the EEZ of Malaysia, Indonesia with many gas and oil fields.
We, Chinese, are “civilized, generous, peaceful” people. We don’t dare to fight Japanese to take our land back in Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute. We just want to take care our smaller neighboring countries and offer you, our peace-loving neighbors in the South a peaceful, generous solution: ‘joint development’ in your own EEZ, in your own garden! You see, Chinese are not greedy, but very generous.
John Chan
@the southeastasian,
Although Vietnamese and Chinese have a tough relationship, but Chinese respect them, because they got guts, come out and fight. As for you, it seems you are a coward with insidious motive like most Indian bloggers. Stirring up hostility and begging other people to fight your war behind the safe haven of anonymity of your national origin, because you scared to be skinned or whacked in kind in return. Your deceitful disparity is unworthy.
Sinodefender
Personally I have no qualms with Vietnamese I’d admire there steadfast determination to oust outsiders however I cannot agree with what you just stated thesoutheastasian. I don’t see China colonizing anyone do you? As mentioned Diaoyutai was discovered by Ming sailors and only robbed by the treaty of Shimonseki likewise the Spratly isalands were discovered by Chinese.
Bac Ninh
I wonder if the author is just an echo of Beijing, no more or less ?
Mr Pei,
1. The first sentence you write “contested waters” do you keep in mind (or base your own argument on)the 9-dot line, sir ?
2. When you mention The 200-mile EEZ of the Paracels do you know the islets, which had been under Vietnamese administration for long time before, were invaded by the Chinese in 1974, or you are completely ignorant of that – and the Spratlys in 1988? I dont think history is a bored lesson to study, sir now that you are in USA you can acess to all source of information.
3. You mean “imposing a temporary moratorium on exploration activities by both sides” ? It’s not new sir, Beijing every year already imposed such on our own sea and their navy shot at our fishmen who wont listen to that rubbish (same with the Philipinos)… and now you say, in quote … “(The June 9, 2010 incident in which a Chinese fishing boat damaged the survey cable of a Vietnamese research ship …” Quoting so, though not written by yourselves do you mean, or repeat without bearing any responsibility that Chinese fishmen can enter our own sea while we are to be shot ? Or do you want to mean these Chinese fishmen are just PLAN who changed the shirts ?
I dont want to argue with those that have been long cheated by the Chinese propaganda ministry. But to be a scholar you must first be honest, at least to yourself and your kids (both at home and colleges); or else it is more suitable come to work for the ruling circle in Beijing.
Kind regards.