New clash in South China Sea

This topic has been sticky by szh at 2011-5-29 13:52.

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1^# > A < Posted 2011-5-29 13:52 Only show this user's posts

New clash in South China Sea

Vietnam has accused China of escalating the long-running dispute over control of the South China Sea after three Chinese patrol boats confronted and damaged an oil exploration ship operated by PetroVietnam, the state-owned oil and gas company.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry on Friday called on China to immediately cease violations of its sovereignty and its exclusive economic zone and asked Beijing to pay compensation for the damage caused.

It also accused China of breaching the 1982 UN convention on the law of the sea and undermining efforts to reduce tensions in the South China Sea.

Carl Thayer, an expert on the South China Sea at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, said that this latest incident represented an escalation in Chinese aggression toward Vietnam.

Just before 6am on Thursday, three Chinese patrol ships rushed the Binh Minh 2, a seismic survey ship owned by PetroVietnam, damaging a number of cables, according to Vietnam’s foreign ministry. The oil exploration vessel had detected the Chinese ships approaching on radar about an hour earlier without warning.

The clash will heighten disquiet among China’s neighbours in south-east Asia over what they perceive as increasingly assertive behaviour in regional waters.

It comes just a week after China and the Philippines pledged “responsible behaviour” in the disputed areas and repeated their commitment to a peaceful resolution of conflicting territorial claims. During a visit of Liang Guanglie, China’s minister of defence, to Manila last Monday, officials from both governments pledged to avoid unilateral moves which could raise tension.

Security experts have said that such an arms race is under way already. Several south-east Asian countries are beefing up their air and sea defences – Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand have all acquired or placed orders for frigates, fighter aircraft and submarines.

China opposes Vietnam oil, gas exploration in China's jurisdictional sea area: FM spokeswoman

China opposes Vietnam's exploring oil and gas in China's jurisdictional area of the South China Sea, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Saturday.

"China's stance on the South China Sea is clear and consistent. We oppose the oil and gas operations conducted by Vietnam, which have undermined China's interests and jurisdictional rights in the South China Sea and violated the consensus both countries have reached on the issue," Jiang said in a statement.

Jiang made the remarks responding to a recent report saying that Hanoi claimed Chinese marine surveillance vessels interfered with Vietnam's oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea and accused Beijing of violating its sovereignty.

"What relevant Chinese departments did was completely normal marine law-enforcement and surveillance activities in China's jurisdictional sea area," Jiang said.

"China has been committed to safeguarding the peace and stability in the South China Sea. We are willing to work together with relevant parties to seek a solution to related disputes and implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," Jiang said.

Financial Times/Xinhua

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fairdinkum Buddy Offline	2^# > A < Posted 2011-5-29 14:08 Only show this user's posts Another exaggeration by FT. What they won't do to increase circulation!
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Huan Buddy Online	3^# > A < Posted 2011-5-29 14:24 Only show this user's posts Vietnam should know its place and not exacerbate the confrontation with China. Oooh, bright orb! ^^
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