India to China, Vietnam: Everyone Please Stay Calm

[Vikrant]

Is China a regional bully?

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India waded into troubled diplomatic waters on Friday–the tense standoff between China and Vietnam over a drilling rig in the South China Sea.

China has deployed an oil rig in a disputed area, and the two sides have massed ships nearby. Officials from both Vietnam and China allege its vessels have been rammed by the other’s.

For New Delhi, it offers an opportunity to present itself as a regional voice of reason. “We would like to see resolution of the issue through peaceful means in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law,” said Syed Akbaruddin, spokesman for India’s foreign ministry.

“We have been following with concern recent developments,” he said. “We believe that maintenance of peace, stability, growth and prosperity in the region is of vital interest to the international community.”

India has its own vital interests, too: It holds an oil- and gas-exploration right of its own in the very same neighborhood.

India’s state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp. is exploring a block acquired from Vietnam. It relinquished an adjacent block in 2011 after it failed to find oil or gas in the area.

China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea where the block operated by India is located, and China has warned the Indian company not to drill in the region.

While the standoff right now is between China and Vietnam, the world is watching. About 55% of India’s trade with the Asia Pacific happens through the South China Sea. “The importance of the route is going to rise further, as India looks strengthen its trade ties with East and Southeast Asia and the Arctic,” said Amit Singh of the New Delhi-based National Maritime Foundation.

Mr. Akbaruddin of the Indian foreign ministry said in his statement that freedom of navigation in the sea shouldn’t be impeded.

Seven countries, including China and Vietnam, have maritime and island claims in the South China Sea. In addition to being important to global trade routes, the waters are estimated to be rich in oil and natural-gas deposits, as well as abundant seafood.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday that the U.S. doesn’t take a position on the relative merits of any country’s claim in the area. She called the decision by China to introduce its oil rig into the disputed waters “dangerous conduct,” adding that “intimidation by its vessels is concerning and certainly is representative of provocative actions.”

Tension has been rising in recent days between Vietnam and China after China parked a giant oil rig in the disputed waters off Vietnam. The rig, China’s most modern, has been deployed by a state-owned oil company off the contested Paracel Islands over Hanoi’s objections.

Vietnam’s coast guard has sought to obstruct the rig’s work. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official demanded on Thursday that Vietnam withdraw its ships.

India to China, Vietnam: Everyone Please Stay Calm - India Real Time - WSJ

 

[Vikrant]

Chinese hegemony spells trouble for Asia.

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BEIJING: China, which is locked in a tussle with Vietnam over disputed islands and the right to mine oil in the South China Sea, said India should not get involved in it.
"I wish to tell the Indian people that they may not worry too much about the current situation in South China Sea," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday. "The facts prove that Vietnam is trying to rope in other parties and put pressure on China, (but) will not achieve its aims," Chunying said.
The comment is significant because Beijing had earlier objected to Indian efforts to explore oil and gas in an island claimed by both China and Vietnam. The Chinese government does not want the ONGC to revive its contract with a state-run Vietnamese oil company for joint exploration in the South China Sea region.
Chunying said countries connected to the South China Sea should abide by an Asean brokered agreement, called the declaration on the conduct of parties, instead of quarrelling. The statement came amid tense naval activity in the South China Sea with Vietnam resisting an attempt by a Chinese oil company to set up an oil rig. The Chinese government has said the area where the rig is being established belongs to China while Vietnam claims it to be its own.

Keep out of feud with Vietnam, China tells India - The Times of India

 

[Unkotare]

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.

 

[Vikrant]

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.

China is going to be a bigger headache for humanity than Germany under Hitler was. It is just that China at the moment lacks the firepower.

 

[DriftingSand]

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.

China is going to be a bigger headache for humanity than Germany under Hitler was. It is just that China at the moment lacks the firepower.

Bring China and Russia into alliance and the world (especially the USA) could really be in some hot water.

Beijing, May 1 (Prensa Latina) Naval forces from China and Russia will carry out joint naval military drills in the eastern sea of Shanghai in late May, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday. The maneuvers, codenamed Joint Sea-2014, are regular military drills carried out by the two countries' navies to foster bilateral practical cooperation and strengthen their capacities to counter joint security threats at sea, according to the official communiqu?. Similar military maneuvers were held in 2013 off Russia's Far East shores with the participation of seven vessels from the Chine... - See more at: China and Russia Announce Joint Naval Maneuvers | Malaysia Sun

China and Russia Announce Joint Naval Maneuvers | Malaysia Sun

 

[Vikrant]

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.

China is going to be a bigger headache for humanity than Germany under Hitler was. It is just that China at the moment lacks the firepower.

Bring China and Russia into alliance and the world (especially the USA) could really be in some hot water.

Beijing, May 1 (Prensa Latina) Naval forces from China and Russia will carry out joint naval military drills in the eastern sea of Shanghai in late May, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday. The maneuvers, codenamed Joint Sea-2014, are regular military drills carried out by the two countries' navies to foster bilateral practical cooperation and strengthen their capacities to counter joint security threats at sea, according to the official communiqu?. Similar military maneuvers were held in 2013 off Russia's Far East shores with the participation of seven vessels from the Chine... - See more at: China and Russia Announce Joint Naval Maneuvers | Malaysia Sun

China and Russia Announce Joint Naval Maneuvers | Malaysia Sun

China and Russia are definitely moving closer to each other. China just issued a statement blaming West (and the US) for Ukrainian crisis.

 

[dilloduck]

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.

China is going to be a bigger headache for humanity than Germany under Hitler was. It is just that China at the moment lacks the firepower.

No problem if your a good Chinaman.

 

[DriftingSand]

Can anyone foresee a possible WWIII that will make all other wars look small in comparison? Lots of tension in the world and with America's wimpy leadership embarrassingly front and center for all the world to see. Is it possible that our economic adversaries are salivating? What might the USA do if Russia, China, Iran, and India all decided to drop the almighty Dollar for some other unit of trade?

 

[Vikrant]

Can anyone foresee a possible WWIII that will make all other wars look small in comparison? Lots of tension in the world and with America's wimpy leadership embarrassingly front and center for all the world to see. Is it possible that our economic adversaries are salivating? What might the USA do if Russia, China, Iran, and India all decided to drop the almighty Dollar for some other unit of trade?

I am not sure how Iran fits into this picture but as far as India is concerned, it has been attacked by China few times. So I think it will be wise for India to keep its powder dry when dealing with China. Russia too has been back stabbed by China few times. So I do not think it is a wise thing to do for Russians to transfer advanced weapons' technology to China.

 

[tinydancer]

This worries me.

 

[Vikrant]

Anti China discord breaks out in Vietnam.

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Violent reaction in Vietnam to China's expansionist stance in disputed seas has turned deadly, with multiple reports of people being killed during rioting that began with attacks on foreign-owned factories.

Cambodia said hundreds of Chinese nationals had poured across the border from Vietnam to escape the riots.

"Yesterday more than 600 Chinese people from Vietnam crossed at Bavet international checkpoint into Cambodia," Kirt Chantharith, a police spokesman, told Reuters on Thursday. Bavet is on a highway stretching from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial centre, to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh.

On Thursday the death toll was unclear, although some news agencies reported at least 20 people had been killed.

A top Taiwanese diplomat said rioters had stormed a large Taiwanese steel mill in Vietnam, killing at least one Chinese worker and injuring 90 more. Huang Chih-peng said the violence took place late on Wednesday and early on Thursday at the Formosa steel mill in central Vietnam.

...

Chinese nationals in Vietnam flee to Cambodia as anti-China riots turn fatal | World news | theguardian.com

 

[waltky]

Hope Obama don't tick off China an' get us in another crazy Asian war...

Violence abates in Vietnam as U.S. warns China for 'provocation'
WASHINGTON Fri May 16, 2014 - Anti-China violence subsided in Vietnam on Friday after the prime minister called for calm, but the United States said China's "provocative" actions in maritime disputes were dangerous and had to stop.

Thousands of people attacked businesses and factories in Vietnam's industrial parks earlier in the week, targeting Chinese workers and Chinese-owned businesses after Beijing parked an oil rig in a part of the South China Sea claimed by Hanoi. Many Taiwanese-owned firms bore the brunt because the crowds believed they were owned by mainland Chinese.

The riots risk derailing a major driver of the country's economic growth - industrial parks account for more than 30 percent of Vietnam's exports and have attracted around $110 billion in foreign direct investment. The Vietnamese government has said one person was killed in the rioting on Tuesday and Wednesday night, but a doctor at a hospital near one area of clashes said he had seen 21 dead bodies and that at least 100 people were wounded.

An eyewitness to fighting between Chinese and Vietnamese workers in an industrial zone in the same area said she had seen at least 13 bodies. There were no reports of fresh violence on Friday. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called on police and state and local authorities to restore order and ensure the safety of people and property in the affected areas. "Prime Minister asked and called every Vietnam citizen to promote patriotism and protect the fatherland's sacred sovereignty by practical activities following the law," said a text message sent to mobile phone subscribers. "Don't allow bad people to instigate extremist actions that damage the country's interest and image."

STRAINING TIES

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

So the Taiwanese people / businesses caught the fallout over this. That figures. Taiwan is the target China is after. I am very concerned about the upcoming drill with Russians in South China Sea by Taiwan. This is news that should concern everyone.

 

[Unkotare]

Some folks may not realize how China's strained relations with Vietnam also tie into their historical animosity with Russia.

 

[Indofred]

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.

China is going to be a bigger headache for humanity than Germany under Hitler was. It is just that China at the moment lacks the firepower.

China and Vietnam at war.
I'll bet the American politicians are shitting themselves at the prospect.

Of course, it's not the potential war they're worried about but, given America lost a war to Vietnam but China is the new evil enemy, who the fuck would America support publicly?

Any politician that actively supported Vietnam, would be in deep shit and none could support china for the same reason.
I'll bet there's some serious head scratching in Washington at the moment.

 

[Indofred]

Can anyone foresee a possible WWIII

World war one was started by a series of total fuck ups.
A regional conflict turned into all out war because the politicians were stupid.
If they've left it alone, there would have been no war and millions wouldn't have been dead.

America seems to have learned fuck all, so sticks it's fat nose into other countries' shit.

 

[waltky]

Vietnam blinkin' first...

Vietnam vows tough measures to avert anti-China unrest
17 May`14 - Vietnam vowed on Saturday to thwart any new outbreak of violence after deadly rioting devastated crucial manufacturing centers this week in an outpouring of rage over Chinese oil drilling in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

Vietnam's lead police investigator defended security forces widely blamed for failing to curb the unrest and said "illegal acts" would be not be tolerated, a day ahead of expected anti-China protests in its major cities. Hoang Kong Tu told reporters the authorities would "strongly deploy measures in line with the law" and there would be no repeat of violence seen on Tuesday and Wednesday, when mobs went on the rampage in three provinces, targeting industrial parks crucial to Vietnam's economy and exports.

The violence was triggered by China's positioning of a $1 billion oil rig in a part of the South China Sea claimed by Hanoi, a move described by the United States as provocative. It is the worst breakdown in ties between the two Communist neighbors since a short border war in 1979. Crowds of thousands massed as rioters turned against Chinese workers and Chinese-owned businesses, smashing windows, gates and walls and torching vehicles and factories. Taiwanese-owned firms were hit hard after being mistaken for being Chinese.

The trouble broke out on Tuesday in the south after nationalist rage boiled over during protests around the industrial parks near Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. Hundreds of Chinese and Taiwanese were forced to flee the country by plane or by bus into neighboring Cambodia. Tu said two Chinese nationals were killed and 140 people wounded in the unrest.

A doctor at a hospital near one area of clashes said he had seen 21 dead bodies in central Ha Tinh province and an eyewitness to the fighting between Chinese and Vietnamese workers said she had seen at least 13 bodies. There were no reports of violence on Friday or Saturday. Vietnam and China share close economic ties, worth $50 billion of trade last year, but diplomatic relations are strained, with many Vietnamese harboring deep resentment for what they see as a history of Chinese aggression. China's Foreign Ministry on Saturday advised Chinese nationals to hold off from traveling to Vietnam and told its citizens in Vietnam to avoid leaving their premises.

PROACTIVE MEASURES

 

[Vikrant]

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.

China is going to be a bigger headache for humanity than Germany under Hitler was. It is just that China at the moment lacks the firepower.

China and Vietnam at war.
I'll bet the American politicians are shitting themselves at the prospect.

Of course, it's not the potential war they're worried about but, given America lost a war to Vietnam but China is the new evil enemy, who the fuck would America support publicly?

Any politician that actively supported Vietnam, would be in deep shit and none could support china for the same reason.
I'll bet there's some serious head scratching in Washington at the moment.

You have a very poor grasp of geopolitics. If you did, however, then, you would have known that there are no permanent foes or friends in the geopolitics. As I have stated to you in another thread, the Vietnam war was a mistake and it never had a broad public support in the US. As soon as the mistake was realized, the war was brought to an end. Neither people of Vietnam nor people of the US want animosity towards each other. This facilitated what we can call a friendly relations between the US and Vietnam. I am not forecasting they will have a military alliance anytime soon but friendship between the two countries will deepen. The US has already admonished China for its role in fomenting this crisis. If you think the US is happy about China bullying its allies Japan and Philippines then you are very ill informed.

 

[Unkotare]

America seems to have learned fuck all...

What we've "learned" is what was known all along: Fuck YOU, you insignificant little speck. All the whimpering in the world won't make you one bit less the flaccid little nobody that you are. You should stop pissing into the wind long enough to clean yourself up. You're a mess.

 

[Indofred]

America seems to have learned fuck all...

What we've "learned" is what was known all along: Fuck YOU, you insignificant little speck. All the whimpering in the world won't make you one bit less the flaccid little nobody that you are. You should stop pissing into the wind long enough to clean yourself up. You're a mess.

See, fuck all.