The 2 ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on a hotline between the Vietnamese navy and the Individuals’s Liberation Military’s Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the South China Sea.
“China is prepared to affix arms with Vietnam to firmly assist one another’s core pursuits and main issues, and produce the strategic mutual belief between the 2 militaries to a brand new peak,” Dong mentioned.
The previous PLA naval commander additionally referred to as on the 2 sides to “make maritime cooperation a brand new spotlight of cooperation between the 2 militaries [and enhance the ability to jointly maintain maritime security.”
China’s Xi Jinping calls on Vietnam to use ‘political wisdom’ to manage ties
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 properly on this, the Philippines wouldn’t go too far [to provoke Beijing].”
Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant analysis fellow with China’s Nationwide Institute for South China Sea Research, mentioned the brand new hotline, this time at a “theatre” stage, may assist to handle doable maritime accidents.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr took half in trilateral talks with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington on Thursday. The three leaders expressed “critical issues” about China’s “harmful and aggressive” behaviour within the South China Sea, and Biden mentioned US defence assist for its two treaty allies was “ironclad”.
The summit got here days after the three nations and Australia carried out joint army drills within the South China Sea, prompting the PLA to stage an air-and-sea fight patrol.
China attracts line on shoal as Philippines debates warship ‘gentleman’s settlement’
China attracts line on shoal as Philippines debates warship ‘gentleman’s settlement’
Beijing on Friday lodged representations with the Philippine ambassador and the Japanese deputy chief of mission over feedback made on the summit.
Beijing claims virtually the entire of the South China Sea below its historic “nine-dash line”. Vietnam – a serious US buying and selling companion within the area – additionally has overlapping claims, however has largely been remained a bystander within the latest confrontations between Chinese language and Philippine vessels.
Chen mentioned Vietnam could be of strategic significance to Beijing within the occasion of any armed battle within the South China Sea, given its particular geographic place.
“Vietnam has land borders with China and its shoreline could be very lengthy from its north to south, so it may choke the passageway within the South China Sea,” Chen mentioned.
Referring to the waters between Cam Ranh Bay in southeastern Vietnam and the northern Philippines, he mentioned: “If a international nation have been to regulate these two locations on the identical time, it may management the passage of those waters within the South China Sea.”
