Chinese naval maneuvers seen as warning to Vietnam

[steven johnson]

Source: LA Times

The Chinese navy conducted three days of exercises — including live fire drills — in the disputed waters of the South China Sea this week, escalating tensions over a potentially resource-rich area also claimed by some neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

The display of naval might hundreds of miles from China's southernmost border was widely seen as a warning to Vietnam, which this week conducted its own live fire drills near the Spratly Islands. Several countries claim sovereignty over the string of uninhabited volcanic rocks, which are ringed by jagged reefs and crusted with bird droppings but rendered attractive by virtue of the surrounding waters that are fertile fishing grounds and may cover significant reserves of oil and natural gas.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei all claim jurisdiction over some of the territory. But China contends its sovereignty dates from ancient national maps that show the islands to be an integral part of its territory.

The latest spike in tension began late last month when Vietnam accused a Chinese fishing boat, escorted by two patrol boats, of deliberately severing a cable of a seismic survey ship owned by PetroVietnam, the national oil and gas company. Relations between the two countries are fraught: They waged a border war in 1979, and have since clashed occasionally at sea over the Spratlys as well as another island chain, the Paracels.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-china-vietnam-20110618,0,3614940.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fworld+%28L.A.+Times+-+World+News%29

[Scuba]

1. Gee, maybe Viet Nam will ask the US to help them.....

....and we can spend a couple more trillion dollars and another 58,000 American lives making the international owners of the MIC richer.

[Ex Lurker]

8. Don't look now

we've been making port visits to the Vietnamese naval base at Cam Ranh Bay since the nineties.

[Laf.La.Dem.]

2. WOW - what a difference a "few" years make

Vietnam and China were allies against the U.S.

U.S. lost about 60,000 lives in Vietnam

Vietnam lost about 1,000,000 (North and South)

and now the U.S. and Vietnam are allies against China!!

THE GLORY OF WAR AND LIVES LOST
:cry:

[somone]

3. Vietnam and China are historical enemies

They even fought a short and bloody border war, with hundreds of tanks, not long after the Vietnam War ended.

[Javaman]

5. Plus Viet Nam give china pause into trying that again.

It will be very interesting to see what happens this time.

[Ex Lurker]

9. China has aggressively built up their military since then nt.

[Downtown Hound]

13. True, but modern tanks and other vehicles don't do all that great in the jungle

Look at all the problems we've had in Iraq, and they don't even have a jungle. If China tries to invade Vietnam, I think they'll learn the limits of power very quickly, as we once did (and are still).

[Kolesar]

12. 1978, I recall eom

[dogmoma56]

4. gotta read 1984 again...

[FLPanhandle]

11. Vietnam and China have been fighting well before the U.S. was a country

Shot, they have been fighting since Rome was a super power.

Vietnam is fucked though. The 20th Century was the American Century. The 21st Century is the Chinese Century. They are building up strength fast and the countries in SE Asia are all nervous, and for good reason.

[BadtotheboneBob]

6. War is a Racket...

... I've said it here before. All wars are economically based. An ally today can be an adversary tomorrow when it comes to acquisition and exploitation of resources. In this case, fish and oil/natural gas. Vietnam has been cozying up to the US lately with talks of refurbishing the port facilities of, gasp, Cam Ranh Bay for use by the US and other ASEAN navies. Now I wonder why Vietnam would want that muscle in the neighborhood? And I'm certain that China is probably not pleased at that prospect.

[razorman]

7. Crap. I hope we don't get involved in this. We already have four wars on our plate.

Besides, it is none of our business. But, since when do we let that stop us?

[xchrom]

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