report: Vietnam gearing up for war with China

[CougarKing]

A chance for Vietnam to effectively retaliate for China's past aggressive moves toward it, like the 1979 PLA invasion of Vietnam?

With attention focused on North Korea's brinkmanship on nuclear weapons and missiles, another potential crisis is brewing that is about ready to spill over into violence, with Vietnam apparently preparing to challenge China's ownership of a string of islands thought to be the link to billions of dollars worth of oil.

In asserting its rights to the Spratly Islands also claimed by China, Vietnam has ordered six Project 636 Kilo-class submarines from Russia and has gotten permission for the purchase, in addition to other military arms Vietnam has ordered.

Russia sees the sales as strategically beneficial and Chinese critics suggest Russia is trying to gain "strategic benefit by stepping up arms sales to Southeast Asian countries. Its arms sales to Vietnam possibly have special significance for Russia, because returning to Cam Ranh Bay has been a goal long cherished by Russia."

Given China's protective view that East Asia is in its sphere of influence, any new introduction of a Russian military presence, including military assistance to an old adversary, can only exacerbate their relationship.

For some time, Vietnam has laid claim and occupies some 30 of the Spratly Islands which China also claims. The Spratlys aren't just a group of reefs, islets and islands in the South China Sea located between the Philippines and Vietnam. They also are the site of potentially significant oil and gas reserves and offer rich fishing grounds. Chinese surveys estimate that the Spratly area holds some 17.7 billion tons of oil and natural gas reserves compared to Kuwait's estimated 13 billion tons.

In addition to China and Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also have staked claims on some of the islands. However, the issue of claims centers more on Vietnam and China. Indeed, the earliest activity of migration patterns originates out of present-day China and Vietnam, going back to 600 B.C. Even up until the 18th century, neither country was aware that the other had charted the islands and made claims to them. Yet, both countries have a history in which the Spratlys figure prominently.

In 1988, China and Vietnam clashed over a portion of the Spratlys. Chinese gunboats sank Vietnamese armed transport ships attempting to land troops. In 1979, there was a bloody clash between the two countries that killed tens of thousands. After the U.S. pulled out of South Vietnam in 1975 and the North and South consolidated, Vietnam then developed closer ties with the Soviet Union.

Vietnam, no traditional friend of China, then pursued its recent $1.8 billion deal with Russia to buy six Kilo-class submarines, suggesting a more assertive stance to its South China Sea claims in the future.

According to analysts, Vietnam occupies more than 20 bases in the Spratly group of islands, even more than China or any other claimant to the island group. Not only do the islands have a seabed with potentially large oil and gas reserves, they straddle vital shipping lanes. China has oil fields in the north while Vietnam is developing fields in the south of the island group.

At present, Vietnam has two Yugo-class midget submarines transferred from North Korea in 1997. For years, Vietnam has been trying to obtain the Kilo submarine to enlarge its fleet, since this particular class of Russian sub is considered to be one of the stealthiest. In fact, defense experts said that the Kilos have an ability to avoid detection and are designed for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=99573

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Vietnam should they decide to use one of those submarines against China.  China simply won't be bullied.  Was nothing learned from the lesson taught Georgia?

 

[Journeyman]

Was nothing learned from the lesson taught Georgia?

Like, "don't mix metaphors in International Relations"? *


* That was the most polite way I could phrase "WTF are you talking about this time?"

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Like, "don't mix metaphors in International Relations"? *


* That was the most polite way I could phrase "WTF are you talking about this time?"

Countries lacking a liberal democratic tradition, having very large armies, tend to lack a sense of humour when the integrity of their perceived territorial interests are compromised.  I don't think that every situation is unique.  There is a whole branch of social science called political science that seems to think they can turn a series of unique situations into generalities.

 

[Journeyman]

Countries lacking a liberal democratic tradition, having very large armies, tend to lack a sense of humour when the integrity of their perceived territorial interests are compromised.  I don't think that every situation is unique.  There is a whole branch of social science called political science that seems to think they can turn a series of unique situations into generalities.

Ah, seen.

- you've stated an opinion.

- you received an implied question (admitedly, in a sarcastic manner, yet you've caught the gist sufficiently to answer).

- you've responded with yet another unsubstantiated generality.*
   

In the absence of something substantive to back your posted opinion (this is the "The Newsroom" forum, not "Radio Chatter"), please forgive me if I don't rush to sell any stocks in Vietnamese textiles.


------------------------
* While now offering the belief that political science does indeed exist, you offer no citations to any of its many, many publications to reinforce your specific suggestion that whatever occurred between Russia and Georgia is now inevitably poised to immediately occur on the PRC/Vietnam border. (That would be the mixed metaphor in the original comment, by the way)

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Ah, seen.

- you've stated an opinion.

- you received an implied question (admitedly, in a sarcastic manner, yet you've caught the gist sufficiently to answer).

- you've responded with yet another unsubstantiated generality.*
   

In the absence of something substantive to back your posted opinion (this is the "The Newsroom" forum, not "Radio Chatter"), please forgive me if I don't rush to sell any stocks in Vietnamese textiles.


------------------------
* While now offering the belief that political science does indeed exist, you offer no citations to any of its many, many publications to reinforce your specific suggestion that whatever occurred between Russia and Georgia is now inevitably poised to immediately occur on the PRC/Vietnam border. (That would be the mixed metaphor in the original comment, by the way)

wow!

 

[Scott]

Wow indeed. How many times do you have to be spoken to about your posting habits Dennis? I promise that this will be the last time I do, next step is the warning system.

Scott
Army.ca Staff

 

[Colin Parkinson]

As I recall Giap said: I would rather eat French and US Sh*t for 100 years than Chinese sh*t for 1,000 years.

Bad feeling between these 2 go back a long way.

Russia rearming Vietnam and India building up it's military all helps Russia neutralize the Chinese threat to it's border. With Vietnam and India on it's borders as real possible threats, China can not focus it's full strength in any one region. I wonder if in the future we will see some sort of mutual defence pact between Russia and Vietnam?