Vietnam sees China as opponent?

Vietnam sees China as opponent?

1.bmp (828.8 KB)
2010-11-4 09:02
The airport at the Cam Ranh Bay



Vietnam's Cam Ranh base to welcome foreign navies


Vietnam will open repair facilities for foreign naval ships and submarines at the former U.S. military base at Cam Ranh Bay, state media reported Tuesday, amid regional concerns over China's growing maritime might.


Tuoi Tre, or Youth, newspaper quoted the defence minister as saying the port also could be a fuel stop for aircraft carriers.


Phung Quang Thanh told local reporters on the sidelines of a National Assembly session that the facilities would mainly serve Vietnam's own navy but services provided to foreign navies could help offset operating costs.


That follows similar comments by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the weekend at the end of an Asian summit here that the services would be offered to vessels from all countries at market rates.


Vietnam's offer comes amid concern among Southeast Asian countries over a series of aggressive moves by China on the high seas and long-running territorial disputes — including a recent spat with Vietnam after China arrested nine of its fishermen near disputed islands in the South China Sea. China eventually released them.


Cam Ranh is strategically located near key shipping lanes in the South China Sea and is close to the potentially oil-rich Nansha Islands (Spratlys) and Xisha Islands (Paracel islands).Nansha Islands are claimed by Vietnam, China, Malaysia, the Philipines, Brunei and Taiwan. Xisha islands are claimed by Vietnam and China. (From AP)


China is isolating itself?


The announcement by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung that his country will re-open the Cam Ranh Bay port to foreign navies presumably won’t have amused Chinese officials.


Speaking Saturday following the conclusion of the 17th ASEAN summit over the weekend, he said, ‘In the centre of the Cam Ranh port complex, Vietnam will stand ready to provide services to the naval ships from all countries including submarines when they need our services.’


The summit was dominated by discussions over China’s various territorial disputes, and the Vietnamese announcement over the port is almost certainly in part a response to growing concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness and willingness to making sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea region.


The fact remains that China is finding itself increasingly isolated over its territorial positions. While China blasts Japan, Vietnam has instead been making overtures, offering to help Japan with crucial supplies of rare earth metals that it feels have been threatened by leading exporter China.


In a further sign that China’s more assertive approach may also be backfiring by drawing the United States back more closely to the Asia-Pacific, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a speech in Hawaii last week that was notable in its underscoring of the continued (and in some areas expanding) US military presence in the region.


On bilateral relations, Clinton also singled out engagement with Vietnam, noting the US was ‘cultivating a level of cooperation that would have been unimaginable just 10 years ago’.


All this is a historic shift that Washington Post writer John Pomfret captured well in a piece Saturday entitled: ‘In historic turn, Vietnam casts China as opponent.’


Reporting from the Vietnam Military History Museum, Pomfret notes: ‘Putting China on a par with "Western aggressors" marks a psychological breakthrough for Vietnam's military and is troubling news for Beijing.


‘For years, China has tried to forge a special relationship with Vietnam's Communist government. But China's rise—and its increasingly aggressive posture toward Vietnam—has alarmed the leadership of this country of 90 million, prompting it to look differently at its neighbour. Beijing risks losing its status here as a fraternal Communist partner and instead being relegated to its long-time place as the empire on Vietnam's northern border.’(From the Diplomat)



Does Vietnam see China as a opponent? 3 0

UID

1574 

Posts

202 

Digest

0 

Credits

2914 

Fame

727  

Money

1256  

Permission

70 

Online

2 hours 

Registered

2010-3-19 

Last login

2010-11-4 

Profile

TOP

gon

 

• Buddy
• Offline

2^# > A < Posted  2010-11-4 17:43  Only show this user's posts

The Mountain Can Have Only One Tiger

Ultimately, if Vietnam and all the countries in the world fear China and takes in effect steps to isolate or contain China, I think there is no choice but for China to go war against America and the rest of its supporters in a great world war.  Either China and Russia must subdue America and its allies, or China become subjugated.  Like the time when Genghis Khan conquered it when China was in fact stronger militarily and should had taken pre-emptive offensive moves to subjugate Genghis Khan and his horde instead.

Let's hope China, through its leaders in Beijing, has learnt its lessons of history, well, and never allow a similar situation to arise again.

If it must take the war to America, if it does not cease its hostile and unfriendly acts - do it and do it quickly and succesfully. If co-existence is not possible, Beijing has no choice but to build up its armed forces and nukes, and train its people for war and occupation of America and her allies.