08/06/2013, 00.00
VIETNAM - CHINA
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South China Sea: Beijing’s imperialism worries Vietnamese

by TT
China continues its expansionist policy in the area. After expiry of fishing ban, over 9 thousand trawlers ready to invade Hanoi waters. Activists, economists and experts against the agreement between the leaders of the two Communist Parties, which threatens to undermine the integrity of Vietnam. Alarm reaches ASEAN nations: Beijing wants 80% of territories.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - In August, more than 9 thousand trawlers and 350 thousand fishermen from the Chinese province Hainan "spill out" of their specific areas for fisheries, invading the territorial waters of Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea. A few days ago in fact the ban imposed by the Beijing government, in force May 16 to August 1, 2013 expired.  It had prohibited fishing vessels venturing into the waters surrounding the Paracel and Spratlys islands. Moreover, according to the recent agreement between Hanoi and Beijing, China will take over larger portions of the sea according to a increasingly "imperialist" policy. The area is the center of a fierce dispute between the Philippines, Vietnam and China with the exploitation of underground natural resources (oil and natural gas) at stake is, as well as the control of a focal point for international maritime trade in the Asia-Pacific region.

Manila has often accused China of incursions into its waters and illegal exploration activities. It has even sought international arbitration at the United Nations, drawing the Chinese government's ire, given that it wishes to address the unresolved issues through bilateral negotiations. The tensions have also concerned Hanoi, although the Vietnamese communist authorities did not want to take the same diplomatic initiative as the Philippines. Indeed, recently they arrived at a basic agreement between for the joint exploration and exploitation of resources.

Under this 10 point agreement signed on June 21 amid general silence - the vast majority of the Vietnamese public does not know the deals contents - China will operate in seven different border areas belonging to Vietnam, for a total area of 4 thousand km2. The pact signed between the two communist governments is opposed by the Vietnamese nationalist fringe, economic experts and intellectuals who consider it a serious "invasion" by Beijing. The pact signed by Hanoi with the slogan "16 golden words and 4 good things" could start a process that will, in the future, lead to a progressive loss of territory for Vietnam.

Hanoi historians claim possession of the disputed islands "since the seventeenth century", but an attack by the Chinese navy between 17 and 19 January 1974 led to the conquest - and control - of the Paracels. In 1988, following an assault on the Spratly, Beijing's vessels opened fire killing at least 64 border guards (now considered "heroes" at home) and occupied seven small portions of land. In the recent past there have been several cases of assaults, shootings and trespassing involving Chinese ships and fishing boats. Even ASEAN - an association that brings together 10 countries of Southeast Asia - is getting worried, given that China might soon control up to 80% of the territory.

This is why Vietnamese intellectuals, politicians and bloggers demand greater attention and respect for internal interests within the framework of the agreements signed with Beijing. If the government continues its policy of subjugation, the risk is that Vietnam will progressively lose its territorial identity. And it is widely believed that China in the coming years "will continue this policy of invasion."

Among Asia-Pacific nations, China has the largest territorial claims in the South China Sea, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which have no permanent population but are resource rich. Regional hegemony would be strategically important for Beijing because it would enable it to control the region's trade and natural resources, such as oil and natural gas. Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have challenged China's expansionist aims. As well as the United States who are moving behind the scenes to counter the imperialism of Beijing in a strategic area of control for two-thirds of the world's maritime trade.

 

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