Vietnam anger rises over South China Sea:Chinas oil rig deployment in disputed territory is stoking nationalistic fervour in Vietnam- The war of words between China and Vietnam over disputed islands in the South China Sea has gained steam and, while never dormant, the heated rhetoric has become notably more direct. As the 14th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit was in progress last weekend in Naypydaw, Myanmars capital, thousands of Vietnamese in the capital Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City took to the streets in anger after the China National Offshore Oil Corporation moved drilling rig HD-981 near the contested Paracel Islands.Tensions further increased when Vietnamese naval ships, trying to prevent the Chinese from setting up the oil rig, collided with Chinese navy vessels. Beijing and Hanoi each accused the other of ramming their ships. Occupied by China since 1974, sovereignty over the area surrounding the Paracels has been challenged by China, Taiwan and Vietnam ever since. Hoang Viet, a professor at Ho Chi Minh City University, noted the rig incident came days after an official visit to Asia by US President Barack Obama, who reiterated his commitment to allies in the region, including Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia. Hence, we can read the Chinese move was also a response to Obamas pivot to Asia-Pacific, Viet told Al Jazeera. In Manila, President Benigno S Aquino III and Obama recently signed a 10-year pact that will give the US military greater access to the Philippines.The United States is not trying to reclaim old bases or build new bases… Well work together to build the Philippines defence capabilities and to work with other nations to promote regional stability, such as in the South China Sea, Obama said during the April visit. Tensions among China and other nations surrounding the South China Sea have risen sharply recently. The Philippine government seized a Chinese fishing boat and its 11 crew earlier this month on charges of catching endangered sea turtles in disputed South China Sea waters, prompting China to demand their release. China foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged the Philippine government to stop taking further provocative actions. The Philippines accused China on Wednesday of building an airstrip on a reef in the South China Sea in disputed territory. If proven true, it would be the first airstrip constructed by China on the contested Spratly Islands, and would violate the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, an informal code of conduct for the region.
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 05:42:02 +0000
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