US and Vietnam stage joint naval activities. 10 August 2010Last updated at 12:34 The training marks 15 years of normalised relations between the US and Vietnam The US and Vietnam are conducting joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, a sign of increasing military ties between the two former enemies. The week-long activities focus mainly on non-combatant exercises and are part of the 15th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Washington and Hanoi. But correspondents say they could anger China, which has been in a dispute with Vietnam over islands in the area. Tensions over territories in the South China Sea have increased recently. The US has described the exercises as a "series of naval engagement activities" which focus mainly on damage control and search and rescue.
The US Navy on Sunday hosted Vietnamese military and government officials on the USS George Washington, which is on its way back from naval exercises with South Korea in the Sea of Japan. 'Belong to nobody' Vietnam accuses China in seas dispute. 30 May 2011Last updated at 07:09 The US has increased military and diplomatic ties with Vietnam in recent months Vietnam's foreign ministry has accused China of increasing regional tensions in an escalating territorial dispute. A rare weekend news briefing followed a confrontation in the South China Sea between a Vietnamese oil and gas survey ship and Chinese patrol boats. Vietnam says the boats deliberately cut the survey ship's cables in Vietnamese waters.
China denies the allegation. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all claim territories in the South China Sea. The area includes an important shipping route and is also thought to contain oil and gas deposits. The spat comes just days before a regional security conference in Singapore. Beijing said its defence minister would attend the IISS Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue, to promote co-operation and stability in the Asia Pacific region. 'High speed' Why are South China Sea tensions rising? 3 September 2010Last updated at 02:14 By Vaudine England BBC News, Bangkok The US has increased military and diplomatic ties with Vietnam in recent months Imagine an exchange of fire between Chinese and Vietnamese navies in the South China Sea. Or just an accidental bump between Chinese and American warships, as high-stakes manoeuvring gets out of hand. Or the arrest by China's navy of hundreds, not just dozens, of Vietnamese fishermen in disputed waters, sparking US voices to support Hanoi against Beijing - or the other way around.
Fanciful scenarios? But the impact of a conflict over a storm-tossed and otherwise unremarkable stretch of water south of China and bordered by most South East Asian states would be far-reaching. The shipping of Middle Eastern oil to Japan would be at risk, north-east Asian economies could stall, trade between China and South East Asia could be blocked in tit-for-tat recriminations and much more if the world's two biggest powers became locked in combat. On alert. Asia-Pacific | Who's right in South China Sea spat? When Dutch ships sailed up the River Thames into London in 1688, it was clear they were an invading force. The freedom of the seas was a well-established idea in the 17th Century, with states only able to claim a narrow belt of sea around their own coast. But as the United States and China have discovered in recent days, that certainty is much harder to come by now.
Tensions were raised after an unarmed US navy surveillance vessel was jostled by five Chinese ships in the South China Sea last weekend. The Pentagon accused the Chinese vessels of "harassment" during the routine operations in international waters. Beijing says the US ship behaved "like a spy" and accused it of breaking international law by operating in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The debate over a nation's claim to marine territory has been turbulent - after all, the seas carry immense riches of fish, oil, gas and other resources, as well strategic navigation rights. Law of the sea Unfortunately, it is not that simple. China-Vietnam:Rough Waters | China Power. Handling ties with China is complicated for Vietnam, especially in the South China Sea. As well as his combativeness over Taiwan and Beijing's refusal to extend an invitation to him during his trip to Asia, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates also broached the subject of disputes in the South China Sea during the just-concluded Shangri-la Dialogue.
Speaking at the event in Singapore, Gates said the area, which is the world's second busiest international sea lane, is 'of growing concern'. US government agencies have reportedly claimed that companies including BP and Exxon Mobil have halted projects in the area because of Chinese objections. But it hasn't just been the US that has been concerned over China's interests there – it has also been the scene of a long-running dispute with Vietnam. The issue flared again when China last May presented a claim to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to 80 percent of the South China Sea. Vietnam is in a difficult position. In Vietnam, New Fears of a Chinese 'Invasion'
Thirty years ago, Vietnamese soldiers waged a final, furious battle in the hills of Lang Son near the country's northern border to push back enemy troops. Both sides suffered horrific losses, but Vietnam eventually proclaimed victory. Decades later, diplomatic relations have been restored and the two nations, at least in public, call each other friend. Vietnam's former foe is a major investor in the country, bilateral trade is at an all-time high, and tourists, not troops, are pouring in. No, not Americans. Thu says he suspects some Chinese companies have won construction contracts by submitting lowball bids, which could mean they are cutting corners, threatening quality and safety. The latest lightning rod for anti-Chinese sentiment is Hanoi's plan to allow subsidiaries of the Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) to mine bauxite ore in Vietnam's Central Highlands.
Other countries in the region are made uneasy by China's thirst for resources. See TIME's pictures of the week. US Cosies up to Vietnam. Worried about China’s strengthening navy and South China Sea claim, the former adversaries are setting ideology aside. By Mohan Balaji for The Diplomat September 02, 2010 Facebook0 Twitter0 Google+0 LinkedIn0 The great Victorian era statesman and British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston once said: ‘Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests.’ This visit, along with one a few days earlier by the aircraft carrier the USS George Washington, marked the 15th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations, when two former Cold War foes started on the journey toward friendship. It’s an interesting irony that the United States is extending the hand of strategic co-operation to Vietnam as it remains mired in a modern-day version of Vietnam— the war in Afghanistan.
The big question is what has prompted this intensification of interest now. In effect, she was hinting that the US has its own national interests in the South China Sea. Why a US-Vietnam Nuclear Deal? A rising China has pushed the US and Vietnam together. The 123 nuclear agreement could just be the start of warmer ties. By Saurav Jha for The Diplomat September 15, 2010 Facebook0 Twitter1 Google+0 LinkedIn0 The visit of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS George Washington to Vietnam last month was more than just a highly visible symbol of the United States’ re-engagement with its former nemesis. But the engagement with Vietnam that the visit also demonstrated goes deeper than just this show of force—Washington is looking to move beyond symbolism to engage in a genuine strategic partnership, the cornerstone of which will be the US-Vietnam 123 nuclear cooperation agreement.
Unsurprisingly, the deal has already riled China and non-proliferation proponents alike, who note that the deal being offered to Vietnam is devoid of the standard strings that have characterised other deals with emerging nuclear nations, including the United Arab Emirates.