2. VIETNAM – CHINA RELATIONS SINCE 1991
2.3. Problems
It is important to note that since the normalization of relations in 1991, Vietnam and China develop stable relations based on two pillars: First, the regular exchange mechanisms between the Communist Party and the government of the two countries were set to expand cooperation, manage incidents, and resolve disputes through negotiation. Through this dialogue channels, Vietnam seeks China's assurance about the non-threatening and non-use of force to solve the problems left over by history, especially the dispute over sovereignty, territory. In return, Vietnam pursues
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defensive line with non-alliance arm forces. Second, Vietnam and China participate in the ASEAN-led multilateral mechanisms to implement confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy.
Based on the two pillars, confidence and cooperation between the two countries expanded rapidly. Territorial disputes over land and maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin in turn were resolved in 1999 and 2000. However, since the mid-2000s, Hanoi increasingly worried about Beijing repeatedly rigid actions in the South China Sea. In the two years 2006-2007, China discreetly warned international oil companies not to cooperate with PetroVietnam in the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam. At the same time, China tried to execute the jurisdiction in a vast sea area stretching down to James Shoal. In May 2009, China remounted United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) principles by formalizing “nine-dash” line without a reasonable explanation. Since then, China sought to change the status quo of Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal. Since 2011, China has implemented a series of aggressive actions, threatening the current situation, leading to confrontations between many nations, and then regional security situation are worsening (Moss, 2012). China’s National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has expanded its reach further southwards, drawing oil blocks for international cooperation inside Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The most striking aspect is using large amounts of national resources to build armed forces. In 2012, China established Sansha city on Woody Island of the Paracels contested by Vietnam, and stationed a military garrison there to protect their territorial claims in the SCS (Cronin & Dubel, 2013).
As a result, it created outrage across Vietnam. Hanoi viewed this as an action aims to "build the status quo on the ground," violating seriously the agreements of the
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leaders of the two countries. Freedom of navigation has been challenged when China arbitrarily determined the scope of prohibited penetration with three nautical miles radius from the rig. More worrisome, the Chinese ships deliberately use force, including stabbing, shooting water cannons in large capacity, using watchtower horn, to sink and threaten Vietnamese ships (Swaine & Fravel, 2011).
Most recently, the event of 981 rig forces the Vietnamese to face three realities.
Firstly, it's carefully prepared and deliberate intrigue by China aimed to infringe upon the waters of Vietnam. The case comes just six months after the visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Hanoi in October, 2014. Secondly, this is a move guided and controlled from the central level owing to the close collaboration between forces. Thirdly, the prohibition of the use of force did not prevent violence.
Figure 2-1: China deployed rigs searching for oil fields in the South China Sea.
Source: (LaGrone, 2014)
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A step forward to supremacy in the South China Sea
In effect, China is trying to recapture the aura of a country with a glorious sea fleet and gradually developing sea direction in the overall social policy, economy, and security. Since 2002, in the report of the 16th Party Congress, China was acutely aware that the first two decades of the 21st century is “strategic opportunity period”
(Heath, 2012).
According to White Paper in 2011, China also pointed out that the initial need was to focus on developing economic and society interests in order to satisfy the growing social and material needs (Heath, 2012) and to ensure the survival of the regime. Shortly after the end of the 18th Communist Party Congress (CPC), China's General Secretary Hu Jintao pointed out that “China should improve the development of marine resources, marine economy, and the marine environmental protection, resolutely protect maritime rights and interests, and build sea power” (The People’s Daily, 2012, November 9).
For this reason, China is conducting rapidly military modernization and strengthening nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, sea-air power, and the capacity of war space and cyber warfare. In recent years, China has made hegemonic behaviour in the region, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Western Pacific. The decisive steps to the near waters and oceans of China were backed by quickly developed military power, causing a collision with the relevant nations in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, and sometimes make the situation become hotter, up to the vigilance of the regional international community.
On June 30, 2015, China declared that the renovation of 7 rocks of the Spratlys was completed. However, the latest images captured by DigitalGlobe satellites and announced at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington
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by Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) also showed that China has built many military installations on the rocks above, specifically in Fiery Cross Reef and Johnson Reef. Clearly, China is militarizing these rocks. In particular, China has completed the construction of a three km long runway on the Fiery Cross Reef together with an aircraft parking area and a path for the aircraft entering the runway.
Besides, the satellite image of AMTI also showed a Chinese Navy ship parked in a beach port in the Cross. In addition, a lake in the middle of the field has been levelled to prepare for the construction of a harbour including nine temporary piers here.
Meanwhile, China's ongoing construction of two radar towers, two runways, three communicative satellite antenna poles, a high-rise building, a lighthouse, a solar-power manufacturer with forty four solar panels and two wind turbines at the Hughes Reef.
Figure 2-2: China occupied and illegally renovated Tu Nghia (Hughes Reef) rocks of Vietnam in the South China Sea.
Source: (Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, 2015)
Director of AMTI - Mira Rapp-Hooper said, all the works of China serve military purposes and help increase China’s ability to monitor activities of other countries in the South China Sea. However, China still excuses as “peace.” On June 30, 2015, the representative of Chinese Foreign Ministry – Mrs. Hoa affirmed renovating some rocks were completed “on schedule”. “In the next step, China will build the
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appropriate infrastructure. These facilities serve primarily civilian purposes but also together with the catering facilities for the defense in these islands. “ After that, on July 1, Chinese Foreign Minister - Wang Yi declared: “A thousand years ago, China was a country that reached out to the sea and so, of course, China was the first country to detect, use and manage the Nansha Islands (Spratlys). “ His words were considered to “clear the way” for the announcement of a new National Security Act by the Standing committee of the National People's Congress, a move was regarded to consolidate China's ambition in the South China Sea.
The new National Security Law of China was expected to create the groundwork for a “more aggressive China in the South China Sea. “The Chinese will cite the law, along with other domestic laws, to justify their activities”, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior Asia adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) (FlorCruz, 2015). According to her, the Law will “help” China with flexibility in dealing with the current challenges due to the words of this law are too broad and vague. China is not only confirmed that it has sovereignty over the South China Sea, but also stressed that the interests of their national security is being infringed and China has the right to conduct activities that the country deems necessary to protect the people and national security, said Glaser (FlorCruz, 2015). In the latest moves reported by China's Ministry of Science, “ocean space station”, which is deep in 3000 meter below the sea level, is the project of the five-year economic development plan of China announced in March, 2015. This plan - number two on the list of 100 science and technology projects - attached special importance by China.
Moreover, the deep-sea research station is expected to help China narrow the gap in research and exploitation of the seabed compared to countries like the U.S., Japan, France and Russia. Under President Xi Jinping, China has always expressed its strong
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views when it claims in the South China Sea, one of the busiest sea-lanes in the world.
Beijing issued an irrational statement of the ownership of more than 80% territory in these waters.
In sum, it could be said that a stronger China has long been the most serious threat to Vietnam’s security. This threat posed by China toward Vietnam comes not only from geographical proximity but also the asymmetry of size and power between the two countries. China is 29 times larger than Vietnam, while Vietnam’s population, despite being the world’s 14th largest, is still only equivalent to one of China’s mid-sized provinces. Given this complex context, Vietnam has been managing its relations with the giant neighbor - China mainly by employing hedging strategy, according to experts.
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