In addition to China and Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan claim some or all of the territory in the contested area of the South China Sea, which is believed to contain vast oil and gas reserves and incorporates key trade routes and abundant fish stocks.
The Vietnamese government has ratcheted up its rhetoric in recent weeks amid growing public disquiet over perceived maritime bullying by China. At the weekend Vietnam’s foreign ministry said that it would “welcome” efforts by the US and other nations to help resolve the South China Sea dispute.
Such sentiments are unlikely to go down well in Beijing, which insists that the long-running row must be resolved on a purely bilateral basis.
China reacted angrily last July when Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, insisted that the South China Sea was of strategic importance to the US and offered to act as a mediator.
The US said on Friday that is was “troubled” by the latest developments, with Mark Toner, a state department spokesman, warning that “shows of force” only increase tensions.
Hanoi and Beijing have traded accusations of infringement of sovereignty.
“China’s behaviour has gone from assertive to aggressive,” said Ian Storey, a fellow at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore and an expert on maritime security in the South China Sea.
assertive
沒有留言:
張貼留言