FF: Hanoi Seeks U.S. Support In China Row

[JMS]

China has so far tangled with Japan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan over the same policy of trying to explore for resources in disputed waters. This is the first time the saber rattleing has involved Vietnam to this serious an extent and seems to be accelerating talks with the US to open military base in Vietnamse terriroty as a hedge against further Chinese agression.

US Warships have already paid port visits at Haiphong in North Vietnam.

http://www.frumforum.com/hanoi-seeks-u-s-support-in-china-row

Hanoi Seeks U.S. Support In China Row

Vietnam has called on the US and other nations to help resolve the escalating territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea, in a move likely to anger Beijing, which opposes what it sees as outside interference.

Tensions between China and Vietnam continued to rise over the weekend, ahead of live-fire drills planned by Vietnam’s navy on Monday on an islet around 20 miles from the coast of central Vietnam, which Hanoi described as routine.

Stirred by a number of maritime confrontations with China over recent weeks, hundreds of Vietnamese took part in rare anti-China protests on Sunday for the second straight weekend, with the usually draconian police allowing the demonstrations to take place.

“China is running an information campaign to blind people,” said Pham Gia Minh, a 55-year-old investment consultant who attended a protest outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi. “We have to let people understand that we want peace but when the aggressor comes we will stand up to them.”

In addition to China and Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan claim some or all of the territory in the contested area of the South China Sea, which is believed to contain vast oil and gas reserves and incorporates key trade routes and abundant fish stocks.

The Vietnamese government has ratcheted up its rhetoric in recent weeks amid growing public disquiet over perceived maritime bullying by China, which dominated Vietnam for 1000 years and fought a brief but bloody border war against it in 1979. At the weekend Vietnam’s foreign ministry said that it would “welcome” efforts by the US and other nations to help resolve the South China Sea dispute and maintain peace and stability.

[SkinInsite]

I can't decide, I love Chinese and Vietnamese foods equally. I'm just a sucker for noodles.

[Larry]

Hmmm, let's see. Which country is the US more likely to support? China, or Vietnam?

Gee, tough call.

[JMS]

Hmmm, let's see. Which country is the US more likely to support? China, or Vietnam?

Gee, tough call.

I don't understand your point? China is a much bigger trading partner.. But when you notice that Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Berma, and the Philipenes are all having similar troubles with China it kind of tilts the scale.

The issue though is the collective excluding china is asking for US involvment, The US has said it would like to get involved in hammering out a deal, China is telling us to butt out because they object to our involvement in their issues and would preffer a bilateral agreement with the individual countires involved in the disputes.