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| China-Japan-Koreas | |||
| Adm. Sam Locklear Warns about the China-Vietnam standoff | |||
| 2014-05-24 | |||
MANILA -- The U.S. military commander in the Pacific warned Friday that the risk of a miscalculation that could trigger a wider conflict in a tense territorial standoff between China and Vietnam is high and urged both nations to exercise restraint. Adm. Samuel Locklear also urged Southeast Asian nations and China to hasten the drafting of a legally binding "code of conduct" to prevent territorial rifts from turning into armed conflicts that could threaten the region's bustling economies.
"I have serious concerns," Locklear told reporters. "The risk of miscalculation, I think, is high and we encourage them both to exercise restraint." China raised the stakes earlier this month when it deployed an oil rig off in waters also claimed by Vietnam, which sent ships to try to disrupt the drilling operation. Street protests morphed into bloody anti-Chinese riots that damaged hundreds of factories. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who also attended an economic forum in Manila, [wrote] that "like all countries, Vietnam is considering various defense options, including legal actions in accordance with the international law." But he said Vietnam would defend itself if it comes under attack. Analysts have said that countries confronted by China in disputed waters, like Vietnam, may seek a deeper security alliance with Washington.
"How these forces are managed to create a fabric of security that allows economic success here has not yet been determined," Locklear said. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, bringing it into conflict with the far smaller nations of Vietnam, the Philippines and three others that have rival claims. Beijing also has a territorial dispute with Japan over a cluster of islands in the East China Sea. Last year, the Philippines filed a complaint against Beijing before an international tribunal in The Hague challenging the legality of its claims. Beijing wants one-on-one talks with each of its rival claimants, something that gives it an advantage due to its sheer size and power. U.S. efforts to pivot back to Asia after years of heavy military engagement in the Middle East were not meant to curb China's influence, Locklear said, suggesting Asian governments would treat China by its actions in the region. "In my opinion, the only person that can contain China, is China," Locklear said.
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| Posted by:Besoeker |