Hanoi, Manila urge world to condemn China’s actions

MANILA — Vietnam’s Prime Minister yesterday called on the world to condemn China for causing what he called an extremely dangerous situation in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

In a rare public show of unity, Mr Nguyen Tan Dung, standing beside Philippine President Benigno Aquino after they held talks in Manila, said both countries would strengthen defence cooperation and were determined to oppose Chinese violations of international law.

Mr Dung cited Beijing’s deployment of an oil rig on May 1 in waters near the Paracel Islands also claimed by Hanoi, saying China’s moves had seriously threatened peace.

Anti-Chinese violence flared in Vietnam last week and vessels from both countries have had repeated confrontations in waters near the oil rig since it was deployed.

China and the Philippines are locked in a separate stand-off over a reef in the South China Sea.

“The President and I shared the deep concerns over the current extremely dangerous situation caused by China’s many actions that violate international law,” Mr Dung said yesterday in a statement after talks with Mr Aquino during a two-day visit to Manila. “In particular, China’s illegal placement of the oil rig and deployment of vessels to protect the rig deep into Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone have seriously threatened peace, stability, maritime security and safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea.”

Vietnam refers to the South China Sea as the East Sea.

“The two sides are determined to oppose China’s violations and called on countries and the international community to continue strongly condemning China and demanding that China immediately end its violations,” Mr Dung said.

Professor Carl Thayer, an expert on Vietnam at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, said Hanoi had to play whatever cards it had as it was clear that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was not going to stand up to China.

“It’s unprecedented for Vietnam to join a United States ally and appeal directly for international support,” Prof Thayer said, referring to the Philippines. “It is an admission that ASEAN is not going to go to the mat on this one, so Vietnam has got to play some of the only options it has got left.”

Mr Dung’s harsh words were similar to those he had used at an ASEAN summit in Myanmar earlier this month, where he also urged the international community to protest against China’s moves. ASEAN issued a communique after the summit that did not criticise China.

Many have feared the long-seething territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea could spark Asia’s next major armed conflict. Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have overlapping territorial claims in the area. Beijing and Tokyo are also at loggerheads over disputed islands in the East China Sea. AGENCIES