South China Sea: Beijing to set up naval hotline with Vietnam as Philippine maritime tensions spike
- Chinese and Vietnamese defence ministers sign MOU on hotline between PLA Southern Theatre Command and Vietnamese navy
- ‘If China and Vietnam work well on this’, Manila would ‘not go too far to provoke’ Beijing, observer says
The deal came as the Chinese defence minister, Dong Jun, met his Vietnamese counterpart in what was his first overseas trip since taking office in December.
Dong met Phan Van Giang in northern Vietnam near their shared border on Thursday, as part of the eighth Vietnam-China border defence friendship exchange.
The two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on a hotline between the Vietnamese navy and the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the South China Sea.
“China is willing to join hands with Vietnam to firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns, and bring the strategic mutual trust between the two militaries to a new height,” Dong said.
The former PLA naval commander also called on the two sides to “make maritime cooperation a new highlight of cooperation between the two militaries [and enhance the ability to jointly maintain maritime security”.
China’s Xi Jinping calls on Vietnam to use ‘political wisdom’ to manage ties
Giang said China had “always been one of the top priorities in Vietnam’s foreign policy”, stressing that the significance of the border defence friendship exchange was to “promote mutual political trust and understanding”, and strengthen solidarity and closer ties.
He also invited Dong to the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Vietnam People’s Army and the second Vietnam International Defence Expo later this year.
The two communist neighbours pledged to step up exchanges and strengthen annual cooperation mechanisms, such as the defence strategic dialogue, the border defence friendship exchange, and joint patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin near the South China Sea.
“If China and Vietnam work well on this, the Philippines would not go too far [to provoke Beijing].”
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Beijing accuses Manila of deliberately ramming Chinese coastguard ship in disputed waters
Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant research fellow with China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said the new hotline – this time at a “theatre” level – could help to manage possible maritime accidents.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr took part in trilateral talks with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington on Thursday. The three leaders expressed “serious concerns” about China’s “dangerous and aggressive” behaviour in the South China Sea, and Biden said US defence support for its two treaty allies was “ironclad”.
The summit came days after the three countries and Australia carried out joint military drills in the South China Sea, prompting the PLA to stage an air-and-sea combat patrol.
China draws line on shoal as Philippines debates warship ‘gentleman’s agreement’
Beijing on Friday lodged representations with the Philippine ambassador and the Japanese deputy chief of mission over comments made at the summit.
Beijing claims almost the whole of the South China Sea under its historical “nine-dash line”. Vietnam – a major US trading partner in the region – also has overlapping claims, but has mostly been remained a bystander in the recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
Chen said Vietnam would be of strategic importance to Beijing in the event of any armed conflict in the South China Sea, given its special geographic position.
“Vietnam has land borders with China and its coastline is very long from its north to south, so it could choke the passageway in the South China Sea,” Chen said.
Referring to the waters between Cam Ranh Bay in southeastern Vietnam and the northern Philippines, he said: “If a foreign country were to control these two places at the same time, it could control the passage of these waters in the South China Sea.”
