U.S.,Hanoi in NuclearTalks :China shaken by US move to sign nuclear deal with Vietnam

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Shyam Saran: India's China challenge

New Delhi: One of the key challenges for India's foreign and security policy for the next decade and beyond will be the management of China's emergence as a great Asian and, increasingly, global power. This challenge is further complicated by the simultaneous, though less spectacular, emergence of India itself as a country with significant and increasing economic and military capabilities. For both countries, Asia remains the principal platform for power projection.

Shyam Saran: India's China challenge

In fashioning an appropriate China strategy, India must recognise that the essential character of India-China relations is and will remain competitive. We represent two contrasting but long-standing civilisations. Each has its own deeply rooted cultural ethos despite the shared legacy of Buddhism. In more contemporary times, China has seen its emergence in Asia as regaining its historical, though sometimes mythical, status as a pre-eminent power, at the summit of a hierarchical economic and security architecture in the region. There has been and will continue to be resistance to the emergence of any rival centre of political and economic power. This has been a consistent theme throughout the past 60 years of China's posture towards India.

However, in a classic exercise of the Chinese art of "walking on two legs", China has also sought to cultivate a more positive and benign relationship with India, to avoid tipping India into an overt and threatening military alliance with one or more of China's adversaries. More recently, tactical alliances with India have been useful to China in safeguarding its interests on several global issues such as climate change and multilateral trade.

The "Copenhagen spirit" is a manifestation of this. Tactically, there may be, at times, a more friendly and cooperative approach. At other times, there may be negative pressures, such as activism on the unsettled border or a more threatening posture on the Tibet issue. What is critical for us to recognise is that this does not deflect China from its strategic objective of preventing India from challenging her march towards predominance and pre-eminence in Asia.

Let us look at the historical record. China has never hesitated to use its alliance with Pakistan to keep India tethered firmly in South Asia. We have a rare example here of a nuclear weapon state actively assisting a non-nuclear weapon state in acquiring both strategic weapons and the means of delivery. The target was India. This has been for China a low-cost, low-risk means of constraining India without having to confront her directly.

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Shyam Saran: India's China challenge

In fact, at crucial junctures, China has refrained from intervening on behalf of Pakistan. This happened in 1965, in 1971 and again more recently during the Kargil conflict. In December 1971, the US NSA, Henry Kissinger, virtually pleaded with his Chinese interlocutor, Ambassador Huang Hua, that China should carry out some military operations on India's borders to relieve the pressure on Pakistan. But China did not bite. China has worked against India's claim to permanent membership of the UN Security Council and lobbied actively to deny India the waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers' Group to enable her to participate in international nuclear commerce. But China has avoided being the only holdout in publicly opposing India. This points to an important aspect of Chinese behaviour, that is, some aversion to risk-taking in pursuing its diplomatic objectives relating to India. We need to build upon this in our engagement with China.

India must learn to pursue its interests with the same unsentimental calculation that China displays in advancing her perceived interests. We, too, need to learn to "walk on two legs" and pursue a more nuanced policy. We should welcome constructive engagement with China on issues where our interests are convergent. At the same time, we should not hesitate to demonstrate our willingness to defend our interests with firmness. It was interesting to see that during our NSA's recent visit to China, the two sides spoke of the need to respect each other's "core concerns". This is a good sign provided there is clarity about what these core concerns are and how legitimate they are perceived to be by others. We should not accept that China's territorial claim to the South China sea is its legitimate core concern.

There is no doubt that in the aftermath of the global economic and financial crisis, China has acquired greater diplomatic clout in relation to other major powers. This has the potential of shrinking our own room for manoeuvre and increasing our vulnerability. However, precisely because of our own display of economic resilience and dynamism, and the significant acquisition of military, in particular, naval capabilities, our diplomatic clout, too, has increased. The sheer weight of India's sub-continental profile makes it an indispensable partner in tackling any global or cross-cutting issue such as energy security, non-proliferation and public health. Here is an opportunity to expand our own strategic space vis-a-vis other major powers, including China.

It has been our experience that China has been more accommodating towards India whenever it has felt that India's range of options had expanded. It was China which proposed a "strategic and cooperative partnership" with India in April 2005 and negotiated what is undoubtedly, from India's standpoint, a favourable set of "Basic Principles and Political Parameters" as the basis for resolving the boundary issue. This happened in the aftermath of the historic strategic partnership forged between India and the EU in November 2004 and the impending and significant upgradation of Indo-US relations envisaged for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's state visit to Washington later in July that year. The more diplomatic options India is perceived to have, the more diversified its relations with other major powers, the greater the display of accommodation on the part of China on Sino-Indian issues. Therefore, we should actively pursue coalition-building globally as well as with all those major powers who wish to see a more plural and loosely structured economic and security architecture in Asia. This would include Japan, Indonesia, Australia and Vietnam. We should promote a more inclusive arrangement in the region, welcoming the participation of the US and Russia. This is not a containment policy towards China. It is a strategy of expanding India's options, which would help manage relations with friends and adversaries alike. After all, even friends should know that we have alternatives available.

http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4179370

 

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Deora leads visit of high level delegation to Vietnam
A high level delegation being led by Murli Deora, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and comprising Secretary, Petroleum & Natural Gas to the Government of India, Senior officials of the Ministry, Chairman and CEOs of ONGC, ONGC Videsh Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation and GAIL India Limited, is visiting Vietnam during the period 21st to 23rd July 2010. During the visit, the Indian Minister will call on Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung Prime Minister of Vietnam. The Indian Minister has been invited by his counterpart Mr. Vu Huy Hoang, to participate in the East Asia Energy Ministers' meeting. Besides, bilateral discussions with the Vietnamese Minister, Mr. Deora is also scheduled to have separate bilateral meetings with other Ministers participating in the conference. Speaking on the eve of his departure to Vietnam, Deora highlighted that the economic growth of India has to be linked with security of energy supplies and this can only be addressed by sourcing energy from diverse primary energy sources and geographies. He mentioned that various models of participation such as direct anchoring and collaborative engagement are being exercised to enhance the reach of our petroleum companies with comprehensive Government support, and this high level visit is one such step in this direction. It may be noted that India, historically has strong relationship with Vietnam and both sides have taken deep interest in each other's economic development. Given the cordial relations, ONGC Videsh Limited was assigned Block 06.1, through Govt. to Govt. interactions on nomination basis on 19th May 1988. This block in Vietnam also happens to be the first equity oil and gas project of OVL. First oil and gas was discovered in Vietnam in 1974 and 1975 and commercial production commenced in 1986. Vietnam's current production is about 345000 bpd of crude oil and liquids and the country is a net exporter of crude. New Petroleum Law was brought in 2000 when the exploration industry of Vietnam picked up pace and various rounds of award of petroleum blocks took place and as a result new discoveries, such as by a Japanese VRJ Petroleum, another by Talisman of Canada and recent by Premier were announced. Success of the new discoveries has generated enhanced interest in the hydrocarbon sector of Vietnam. Besides oil and gas, Vietnam has interest in developing its gas, petrochemicals and refining sector as well. Looking at the growth opportunity in the oil and gas sector in Vietnam Indian petroleum companies OIL, IOC and GAIL have cast a new focus on the area and will be on look out for opportunities for participation. It is envisaged that Indian companies may offer to join their counterpart in Vietnam to work together in areas of mutual benefit in Vietnam and in Third County(s). ONGC Videsh of India has been working in Vietnam since 1988, when it signed the Production Sharing Agreement for Block 06.1 on 19th May 1988. Largest gas discovery of Natural Gas was made in the block in 1989, which was developed to deliver gas to a shore based power project in Vietnam. OVL holds 45% P.I. in the block with British Petroleum holding 35% and PetroVietnam, NOC of Vietnam, holding 20%. The consortium of OVL, BP and PV produces about 12-14 MMSCMD per day supporting about 30% of power generation capacity of Vietnam. Given its importance, Govt. of Vietnam had declared the Project as one of the projects of National Importance in Vietnam. GOI has approved capital investment of about USD 378 million by OVL in the Project. In addition, ONGC Videsh Limited was awarded two exploration blocks under Production Sharing Contract in June 2006, in the Phu Khanh offshore basin, where exploration work is being conducted.
http://www.energetica-india.com/deora-leads-visit-of-high-level-delegation-to-vietnam/

 

[Neil]

Vietnam calls on Asean nations to embrace nuclear power

Vietnam has called on South East Asian nations to build nuclear power stations to meet rising energy demands.

The proposal came at an energy policy meeting held by the Asean group of countries in Dalat, Vietnam.

As economies in the region continue to grow, so too does the demand for stable, secure energy. Going nuclear is increasingly seen as an attractive option.

There is no operational nuclear power plant in South East Asia today.

But eight out of the ten countries that make up the Asean regional grouping have plans to add nuclear energy to their generating portfolios.


Safety concerns
Now Vietnam has suggested that those plans be coordinated to develop a region-wide approach.

The move is likely to raise concerns over safety and the potential for nuclear proliferation.

South East Asia is one of the fastest growing economic areas in the world. But many, if not most, countries suffer periodic bouts of power cuts.

Some nations are looking to hydropower, building huge dams along the Mekong river. But these have angered local communities who complain that water flows and fish stocks have been affected.

Renewable sources such as solar power are being promoted by environmentalists.

But nuclear offers the potential of large volume, and temptingly, Russia has offered to help build the power plants South East Asia might need.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10728876

 

[Neil]

Vietnam gets Russian nuclear aid

Russia has agreed to help Vietnam build its first nuclear power plant, according to state media reports.

The planned cooperation was part of an agreement signed on Tuesday in Hanoi by the two countries.

Other measures included improving trade links and joint oil and gas exploration.

It is not clear when a nuclear power plant will be built, but a Vietnamese government committee previously set 2020 as a date for completion.

Vietnam has not said where in the country it would be located.

"Those plans which Vietnam is preparing for the development of nuclear power engineering in future, are also extremely interesting to us, and we are ready to take part in their implementation in a wide variety of ways," said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko on a visit to Hanoi.

The two countries have retained their close relationship forged during the cold war.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3499365.stm

 

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HANOI, Vietnam — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton chided Vietnam on Thursday for intolerance of dissent and infringement of Internet freedom, even as she celebrated its 15 years of normalized relations with the United States.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a news conference with Pham Gia Khiem, Vietnam's foreign minister, in Hanoi on Thursday.
Mrs. Clinton said she raised the issues of jailed democracy activists, attacks on religious groups and curbs on social-networking Web sites during a meeting with Vietnam's deputy prime minister, Pham Gia Khiem.

The United States will prod Vietnam's government "to pursue reforms and protect basic rights and freedoms," she said at a news conference, as Mr. Khiem stood expressionless beside her.

"Vietnam, with its extraordinary, dynamic population, is on the path to becoming a great nation, with an unlimited potential," she added. "That is among the reasons we expressed concern."

Mr. Khiem replied that human rights policies were rooted in unique cultural and historical circumstances. He cited what he said was President Obama's observation that countries should be allowed to choose their own paths and that human rights should not be imposed from outside.

The timing of Mrs. Clinton's remarks here, at the start of a two-day stop that includes an Asian regional security meeting, suggested that she wanted to make her point and move on. She emphasized that the United States would increase cooperation on trade and investment, and would do more to help people suffering lingering effects from Agent Orange, a chemical spray the American military used as a defoliant during the Vietnam War.

Still, Mrs. Clinton's criticism offered a vivid contrast to her visits to China as secretary of state, where she has avoided publicly raising human rights issues with Chinese officials. It came on the same day that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was announcing in Jakarta that the United States would resume military contacts with an elite Indonesian military unit long criticized for abuses, arguing that it had reformed.

These divergent moves reflect the uneven landscape the Obama administration confronts in the region, including not only rising China and recalcitrant North Korea, but also an unreconstructed military dictatorship in Myanmar and a reformed military state in Indonesia — and a Communist government in Vietnam that is showing signs of retreating from its reformist path.

Though human rights conditions are indisputably better in Vietnam now than at the end of the war, analysts say there has been backsliding in recent years, which may reflect the growing influence of conservative political elements. In January, the government convicted three prominent democracy activists under a strict national security law.

Last week, 19 members of Congress sent Mrs. Clinton a letter, urging her to press Vietnam about these cases and censorship of Web sites like Facebook. The lawmakers said Vietnam had "escalated its aggression towards activists and taken concerted steps to silence online speech."

Mrs. Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, oversaw the normalization of ties between the United States and Vietnam in 1995, and Mrs. Clinton spoke warmly of the memories that the country evoked. Her last visit was as first lady in November 2000, in the waning days of the Clinton presidency but in the flush of her own recent election as senator from New York.

Throngs welcomed Mr. Clinton, the first sitting American president to visit Vietnam. Mrs. Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea, delighted farmers in a dusty village outside Hanoi when they put on conical hats to ward off the tropical sun. A Vietnamese artist portrayed that moment in a large mosaic etched with rubies, sapphires, and quartz, which a Vietnamese gem and jewelry company presented to Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Khiem also gave her a white tablecloth for Ms. Clinton, who will be married on July 31.

At a lunch with Vietnamese and American businesspeople, she poked fun at her zeal for the role of mother of the bride, questioning the "common sense" of juggling wedding planning with a grueling week that has taken her from a war zone in Afghanistan to the demilitarized zone in South Korea.

But Mrs. Clinton also spoke of how the United States and Vietnam had overcome the bitterness of war, and then the "profound differences" that divide a Communist state from a democracy.

"The United States will continue to urge Vietnam to strengthen its commitment to human rights and give its people a greater say over the direction of their lives," she said. "But our relationship is not fixed upon our differences. We have learned to see each other not as former enemies, but as friends."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/world/asia/23diplo.html?ref=world

 

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HANOI, Vietnam — Opening a new source of potential friction with China, the United States said on Friday that it was ready to step into a tangled dispute between China and its smaller Asian neighbors over a string of strategically sensitive islands in the South China Sea.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking in Vietnam at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation, or Asean, said, "The United States has a national interest in freedom of navigation, open access to Asia's maritime commons and respect for international law in the South China Sea."

The United States, she said, was prepared to facilitate multilateral negotiations to settle competing claims over the islands — among them the Spratly and Paracel islands — something sought by Vietnam, which has had deadly clashes with China over them. In 1988 warships from China and Vietnam traded fire in the Spratly Islands, sinking several Vietnamese boats and killing dozens of sailors.

China's maritime ambitions have expanded along with its military and economic muscle. It has long laid claim to islands in the South China Sea because they are rich in oil and natural gas deposits. And it has put American officials on notice that it will not brook foreign interference in the waters off its southeastern coast, which it views as a "core interest" of sovereignty.

Tensions also flared on a more familiar front, North Korea, with Mrs. Clinton accusing that country of "provocative, dangerous behavior" while a North Korean official threatened a "physical response" to joint American-South Korean naval exercises off the Korean Peninsula and Japan this weekend.

"This is not defensive training" said the spokesman, Ri Tong-il, who noted that the United States would mobilize one of its most formidable nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the George Washington. "It is a grave threat to the Korean Peninsula and also to the region of Asia as a whole."

While the harsh words between North Korea and the United States predictably dominated this meeting, Mrs. Clinton's comments about the South China Sea turned a spotlight on a less visible source of conflict in the region.

For decades, China has sparred with Southeast Asian nations over control of 200 tiny islands, rocks and spits of sand that dot these waters. In 1974 China seized the Paracel islands from Vietnam, and in January it announced plans to develop the islands for tourism — ratcheting up tension with Vietnam, which has never recognized China's territorial claims.

Vietnam's strategy has been to "internationalize" the dispute by bringing in other players and forcing China to negotiate in multilateral forums. Mrs. Clinton's announcement that the United States would be willing to play a part was a significant victory for the Vietnamese.

But it could irritate Washington's relations with Beijing, which were frayed by the announcement of the joint naval exercises off the Korean Peninsula. Last March, the Chinese government told two visiting senior Obama administration officials, Jeffrey A. Bader and James B. Steinberg, that it would not tolerate any interference in the South China Sea, an official said.

The Unites States has tried to marshal global support for South Korea in the two months since an international investigation led by South Korea found that the North had torpedoed a South Korean warship, killing 46 sailors. Mrs. Clinton has demanded that North Korea apologize for the attack, and on Friday she exhorted Asian countries to abide by strict sanctions against Pyongyang. Asean members deplored the attack, but like the United Nations Security Council, they refused to single out North Korea as the culprit.

On Friday, the American-led United Nations Command notified North Korea of plans to hold another joint America and South Korean military exercise: an annual drill called "Ulchi Freedom Guardian," from Aug. 16 to Aug. 26. The United States military traditionally does not announce the location of the drill.

Mrs. Clinton's discussions in Vietnam wrapped up a grueling trip that has been a tour of America's wars, past and present — from Afghanistan to the demilitarized zone in South Korea, and finally to Hanoi. In Kabul, she drew a line from the American experience in Korea to the Afghan war, pointing out that success can be elusive for many decades, yet still come.

"We saw South Korea struggle to become a functioning democracy — huge amounts of instability, coups, corruption, scandal, you name it," Mrs. Clinton said. "It's good to remind ourselves: the United States has stood with countries that went through a lot of ups and downs for a lot longer than eight years."

As South Korea and the United States prepared for the naval exercises, military officers from North Korea and the United Nations Command met on the inter-Korean border on Friday for the second time this month to discuss the sinking of the South Korean vessel.

An investigation concluded in May that the March 26 sinking of the Cheonan, a corvette, was caused by a North Korean torpedo attack. North Korea denies any involvement, calling the conclusion a fake.

Meeting at the border village of Panmunjom on Friday, colonels of both sides "exchanged ideas and further details for convening a joint assessment group" to investigate "the cause of the armistice violations that led to the sinking," the United Nations Command said.

It remained unclear whether North Korea accepted the proposal. North Korea has so far insisted that it conduct its own investigation by sending a team of "inspectors" to South Korea.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/world/asia/24diplo.html?_r=1&ref=asia

 

[SHASH2K2]

Looks like China and Obama honeymoon is over and couple is heading for divorce.

 

[SHASH2K2]

one more bad news for China.


A major joint military exercise gets underway in several days time that aims to deter North Korea. To take place in the Sea of Japan between 25-28 July, the exercise will involve the US and South Korea.

In all, approximately 200 aircraft, 20 ships and 8,000 military personnel will participate. Among the ships is the USS George Washington –a vast supercarrier that weighs 97,000 tons and which is capable of accommodating around 80 aircraft.

On the aircraft side, meanwhile, the deployment will include four very new United States Air Force Boeing F-22 Raptors, of the type that made their European public airshow debut at the Royal International Air Tattoo last weekend. The exercise will mark the first time that Raptors have been in South Korean skies.
US and South Korea: Military Exercise

As per comments made by Robert Gates and Kim Tae-young – the defence secretaries of the US and South Korea, respectively – the military exercise represents an initial way of transmitting a "clear message to North Korea that its aggressive behavior must stop."

Four months ago, a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, sank and since that time, it has been claimed that a North Korean torpedo caused this.

As of 2010, North and South Korea remain at war, since no official peace declaration was ever established between the two after the Korean War's end almost six decades ago.
Joint Military Exercise

Referring to the US and South Korean joint military exercise, North Korea has labelled it as "very dangerous sabre-rattling." The collaboration, said one localised newspaper, was '...aimed at further straining the already deadlocked inter-Korean relations and igniting a nuclear war against the DPRK [North Korea], while watching for a chance.'

In related news, it was announced on 21 July that the US would hit North Korea with a new round of sanctions in light of the South Korean ship sinking incident. As per details provided by Hillary Clinton – the US Secretary of State – one element of this will restrict North Korea's ability to import and export arms.

Clinton stressed that the intention was not for the sanctions to impact on residents of North Korea, but for them to address the "misguided and malign priorities of their government."

See also:

http://www.armedforces-int.com/news/us-and-south-korea-in-joint-military-exercise.html

 

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China Warns U.S. to Stay Out of Islands Dispute


BEIJING — The Chinese government reacted angrily on Monday to an announcement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that Washington might step into a long-simmering territorial dispute between China and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea.

Speaking Friday during a forum of Southeast Asian countries in Vietnam, Mrs. Clinton apparently surprised Beijing by saying the United States had a "national interest" in seeking to mediate the dispute, which involves roughly 200 islands, islets and coral outcroppings that are claimed by China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi of China warned the United States against wading into the conflict, saying it would increase regional tensions.

"What will be the consequences if this issue is turned into an international or multilateral one?" he asked in remarks published on the Foreign Ministry's Web site. "It will only make matters worse and the resolution more difficult."

The state-run news media were far less diplomatic, describing Mrs. Clinton's speech as "an attack" and a cynical effort to suppress China's aspirations — and its expanding might.

"America hopes to contain a China with growing military capabilities," ran an editorial Monday in the Communist Party-run People's Daily newspaper.

Global Times, an English-language tabloid published by People's Daily, said, "China will never waive its right to protect its core interest with military means."

Ms. Clinton's announcement came at time of rising tension between Washington and Beijing over a number of economic and diplomatic differences. On Sunday, the United States and South Korea began four days of naval drills off the Korean Peninsula involving 200 aircraft, 20 ships and an aircraft carrier. Although the exercises are meant as a message to North Korea — which the South has blamed for a torpedo attack on one of its warships in March that killed 46 sailors — China has greeted the maneuvers with some alarm.

Until Mrs. Clinton made her remarks, the dispute over the South China Sea islands had remained a largely regional concern. The area of contention, which spans 1.2 million square miles, is an increasingly important conduit for a third of the world's maritime trade and much of the region's energy supplies. Just as compelling are the enormous deposits of oil and natural gas thought to be under the ocean floor.

In 1988, the Chinese and Vietnamese military sparred over one archipelago, the Paracel Islands, claiming the lives of dozens of Vietnamese sailors. This year, China announced plans to develop tourism in the Paracels. In recent months, it has been warning foreign oil companies against striking exploration deals with Vietnam.

Xu Liping, an expert on Southeast Asia at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said that the United States, long distracted by conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, was seeking to revive its influence in the region.

"The U.S. feels like this is the time to play the political and military card since it's very difficult for them to compete with China in the economic sphere," he said, adding that if Washington could play a larger role in the South China Sea, "it will help to continue its influence among South Asian countries."

American officials have reacted with growing concern over China's naval ambitions, a new strategy that Chinese admirals have described as its "far sea defense." Beyond refusing to cede any ground on sovereignty in the South China Sea, China has announced plans to deploy aircraft carriers, and it has strengthened its armada with nuclear-powered submarines capable of firing ballistic missiles.

In March, China warned two visiting American officials that it would not tolerate interference in the South China Sea, an area it described as its "core interest," much like Tibet and Taiwan.

China's neighbors have reacted by bolstering their own naval forces. In recent years, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia have acquired submarines. On Sunday, Japan announced plans to increase its submarine fleet for the first time in more than three decades.

Mrs. Clinton's announcement on Friday was essentially a nod to Vietnam, which has been seeking support for multilateral negotiations as a bulwark against China's stance on issues of sovereignty. China has insisted that the conflict be resolved through one-on-one negotiations. "The consensus is to have these disputes solved peacefully through friendly consultations in the interest of peace and stability in the South China Sea and good neighborly relations," Mr. Yang, the Chinese foreign minister, said in his statement.

Ian Storey, a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said Washington's enhanced interest in the South China Sea was sure to heighten tensions between the countries. Such confrontations have already been playing out through less-than-friendly encounters between American and Chinese vessels.

"This is clearly an unpleasant surprise for the Chinese," Mr. Storey said of Mrs. Clinton's announcement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/world/asia/27china.html?_r=1&ref=asia

 

[SHASH2K2]

India, Vietnam to firm up defence ties

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: India and Vietnam have agreed to strengthen their defence cooperation.

The modalities of implementing the 2009 memorandum of understanding in this domain were discussed by Vietnam's National Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh and Army Chief General V. K. Singh. Ambassador to Vietnam, Ranjit Rae, and defence officials were present at the talks in Hanoi on Tuesday.

Gen. Singh, marking the first visit to Vietnam by an Indian Army Chief in over a decade, also met his counterpart there, Deputy Chief of General Staff Pham Hong Loi, for talks on follow-up action. Two areas spotted for immediate cooperation were training of military personnel and dialogue between experts on strategic affairs on both sides.

Defence Minister A. K. Antony is expected to visit Vietnam in October to participate in the first-ever regional meeting of political leaders in the defence field.

Vietnam, now chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), has invited India to the Asean+8 Defence Ministers' meeting. The 10-member Asean will be joined by Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States.

The Asean, as the prime mover of this process, has also initiated efforts to convert such a grouping of countries into an expanded East Asia Summit.

The Summit, an organisation as different from just a conference, does not include the U.S. and Russia at present.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/30/stories/2010073062951400.htm

 

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Vietnam hedges its China risk
By The Hanoist

As Vietnam and China celebrate an official "Year of Friendship" marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Hanoi is quietly pursuing a balance of power plan against its neighbor to the north. The contours of the still-evolving strategy consist of developing a common position vis-a-vis China within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), engaging the United States and forging security ties with other key regional powers.

How this approach unfolds, however, will depend as much on domestic Vietnamese politics as the interests of the individual countries involved. Hanoi has used its chairmanship of the 10-member ASEAN to put territorial disputes in the South China Sea



on the grouping's agenda. China and ASEAN signed a non-binding code of conduct in 2002 and since then Beijing has sought to resolve differences through bilateral negotiations, where one-on-one it often dominates the other side.

Within ASEAN only Vietnam has a contested land border with China in addition to ongoing maritime disputes over the Paracels (called Xisha by the Chinese) and Spratlys (called Nansha by the Chinese), two island chains in the South China Sea. The Philippines also claims ownership of the Spratlys, while Malaysia and Brunei have partial claims over the archipelago. Other ASEAN countries have been happy to let Vietnam bear the brunt of Chinese pressure while they develop stronger trade and investment ties to Beijing.

So far, cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia seems to be the most advanced. Last year, they made a joint submission to the United Nations commission that administers the Convention on the Law of the Sea. The filing, which delineated Vietnam's and Malaysia's respective exclusive economic zones in the lower part of the South China Sea, was quickly rejected as "illegal" by China, which claims the entire maritime area from Taiwan to Singapore.

China's aggressive behavior has made other ASEAN nations without a direct stake in the island disputes take notice. When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared at the ASEAN Regional Forum on July 23 that the US had a "national interest in freedom of navigation, open access to Asia's maritime commons, and respect for international law in the South China Sea", Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam were among the dozen countries that expressed support for a "collaborative diplomatic process".

By openly wading into the South China Sea dispute, the US has given ASEAN support to develop a more coherent regional response. Vietnam reportedly urged the US in private talks to take a stronger stand, and Hanoi would have the most to gain if ASEAN countries stuck together more consistently when dealing with China.

Hanoi's poor human-rights record makes it unlikely that the US and Vietnam will pursue an outright military alliance, but the two former adversaries now hold annual security talks and periodic military exchanges. In recent years, the US Navy has made over a dozen visits to Vietnamese ports and on at least two occasions Vietnamese officers have been flown out to visit US carriers.

While the Communist Party leadership in Hanoi remains deeply ambivalent about getting too close to Washington, there is a growing realization that the US is essential to counter-balancing China's rise.

Asian allies
On the other hand, Vietnamese leaders have no qualms about partnering with Russia, a former Cold War communist ally. A deepening security relationship with Moscow now provides an additional hedge against China and has helped to modernize Vietnam's military, which is still largely reliant on Russian equipment dating from the 1970s.

Hanoi is now among Russia's top arms clients, including recently signed contracts for six Kilo-class diesel submarines and 20 Sukhoi Su-30 multi-role fighters. Later this year, Vietnam will take possession of two Russian-made Gepard-class frigates, and discussions are underway for Russia to build and help operate a new submarine base in Vietnam, possibly in the strategic Cam Ranh Bay.

India is another regional player finding common strategic cause with Vietnam. On July 27, the countries agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation during a visit by Indian army chief General V K Singh. New Delhi is wary of Beijing's efforts to extend its reach into the Indian Ocean. China and India also have a longstanding border dispute, which flared into war in 1962.

New Delhi and Hanoi share China-related strategic concerns and have enjoyed historically close ties forged from their common anti-colonial struggles. Both militaries also operate similar Russian equipment.

An ostensibly commercial deal could deepen India-Vietnam strategic ties. BP, which is raising capital to cover the cleanup costs of its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, has put various of its global assets up for sale, including an investment in the Nam Con Son basin off the southern coast of Vietnam. According to press reports, Vietnam's government has given approval to a consortium of state-owned Indian energy firms and Petro Vietnam to buy out BP's stake.

Significantly, this large-scale natural gas project is located in an area of the Nam Con Son basin where BP announced in March 2009 that it would cease exploration in response to pressure from China. By turning to Indian firms less likely to be intimidated by Beijing, Vietnam is now strongly asserting energy rights in its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Meanwhile, Japan and Vietnam have just announced the establishment of a bilateral security dialogue involving foreign and defense ministry officials. The security talks represent a significant evolution in the bilateral relationship, which until now has concentrated on trade and aid. Japan currently holds such talks with the US, Australia and India.

It is not surprising that Vietnam is hedging against China's strategic threat. The two countries have a long history of conflict, including China's seizure of the Paracels from Vietnam in 1974. The two neighbors also fought a brief border war in 1979 and fought a short naval battle in the Spratlys in 1988. According to diplomatic sources, the two sides have also engaged in unreported military clashes at sea as recently as 2005 and perhaps again in 2008.

To be sure, Vietnam is not in a diplomatic or geographical position to lead an international coalition against China. Within the Communist Party leadership, especially among cadres responsible for public security and ideology, there are many who aim to emulate China's model of liberal economics and closed politics. A pro-China faction has recently backed a crackdown on bloggers and activists who have protested against China's encroachment on Vietnam-claimed territories.

For now, however, there appears to be a relative consensus within Vietnam's leadership to balance China's influence by cultivating relations with other regional powers, including the US, Russia and India. How that consensus evolves and strategic ties develop will depend largely on how the balance of power is struck among Communist Party factions at next year's highly anticipated National Party Congress.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LG30Ae01.html

 

[SHASH2K2]

The Chinese naval expansion, threat to Vietnam and India
By B Raman
" It is clear that military clashes would bring bad results to all countries in the region involved, but China will never waive its right to protect its core interest with military means."

— From a "Global Times" editorial of July 26,2010

b-ramanAfter having adopted a soft policy towards China since coming to office in January 2009, the administration of President Barack Obama is showing signs of starting to articulate in public its concerns over the implications of the growth of the Chinese naval power and its likely impact on the freedom of navigation and maritime trade. The public articulation of the concerns of the Obama Administration in this regard were triggered off by China's ambivalence on the question of action against North Korea for allegedly sinking a South Korean naval ship in March and its strong statements in recent months on its rights in the South China Sea and its determination to play what Beijing looks upon as its rightful role in the Western Pacific.

Interestingly and intriguingly, the concerns of the Obama Administration over the ambivalent policies of China in this region and over the implications of the increasing maritime assertiveness of the Chinese Navy were voiced by two dignitaries of the Obama Administration, who recently visited New Delhi and Hanoi, thereby hinting that there was a triangular convergence of these concerns in the US, India and Vietnam. Does this presage the beginning of a thinking in the corridors of power in Washington on the likely benefits of a co-ordinated strategy by the US, India and Vietnam towards the growing assertiveness of the Chinese Navy?

That is the question that has started bothering some analysts in China. While they have so far refrained from naming India in this context, they have already named Vietnam and cautioned it not to be misled by professions of US friendship for that country.

The opening salvo in the articulation of the US concerns was fired by Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, during an official visit to India. He told Indian media persons on July 23,2010, that China's aggressive posturing over territorial claims in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions was a matter of concern that the US shared with India. He was quoted by the Indian media as saying as follows: "China seems to be asserting itself more and more with respect to the kinds of territorial claims. They seem to be taking a much more aggressive approach to the near-sea areas recently"¦.There is growing concern over it. In my perspective, we (the US) must work with India in this regard. In my recent interactions with its leadership, India too has expressed similar concerns." He gave the example of recent public statements by China about the US Navy operating in the Yellow Sea. Noting that the US navy was in the international waters, Mullen said despite such remarks by China, the US would continue to operate in the international waters there.

Admiral Mullen said further that the US believed China was shifting focus from land-centric to air and maritime capabilities. "Fairly recently I have gone from being curious about where China is headed to being concerned about it. One of the characteristics that does not exist as far as China appears militarily is transparency. In fact, there is opaqueness to it that we continue to really scratch our heads about from a military standpoint. We have virtually no relationship with the Chinese military. If we have such relationship, we can agree on and disagree on, and also we can learn from each other." He pointed out that the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions were critical to economic and trade activities and that stability in these two regions was absolutely vital.

The same day in her address to the Foreign Ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) at Hanoi, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said that resolving disputes over the South China Sea was "pivotal" to regional stability and suggested an international mechanism to solve the issue. "The United States has a national interest in freedom of navigation, open access to Asia's maritime commons, and respect for international law in the South China Sea," Mrs. Clinton said. According to the "China Daily", Washington has called for unfettered access to the area and accused Beijing of adopting an increasingly aggressive stance on the high seas.


While Beijing has not yet reacted to the remarks of Admiral Mullen in New Delhi, it reacted immediately and with virulence against the remarks of Mrs. Clinton— thereby indicating that it possibly distrusts Vietnam more than it distrusts India. The Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr.Yang Jiechi. who challenged the remarks of Mrs. Clinton at the Hanoi ARF meeting, strongly opposed attempts to internationalise the South China Sea issue."What will be the consequences if this issue is turned into an international or multilateral one? It will only make matters worse and the resolution more difficult," Mr. Yang said and added:"International practices show that the best way to resolve such disputes is for countries concerned to have direct bilateral negotiations. "

Mr. Yang said in his rejoinder to Mrs. Clinton: "China has territorial disputes with a few ASEAN member countries. The South China Sea is currently a peaceful area with navigational freedom. Trade has been growing rapidly in this region and China has become the number one trading partner of many countries in the region. In my bilateral discussions with both ASEAN colleagues and others, they all say that there is no threat to regional peace and stability. It is not China but some other country that is "coercing" regional countries to take sides on the issue. Asia can solve its own problems without interference by outside countries. ASEAN is also not an appropriate forum to resolve the issue. China and some ASEAN nations have territorial and maritime rights disputes because we are neighbors. And those disputes shouldn't be viewed as ones between China and ASEAN as a whole just because the countries involved are ASEAN members. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and ASEAN member countries in 2002 has played a good role in containing regional conflicts and will see high-level meetings when conditions are mature. In the declaration, the countries pledged to exercise restraint, and not to make it an international issue or multilateral issue. Channels of discussion are there, and they are open and smooth."

There is suspicion in China that Mrs. Clinton would not have made such a strong statement without the tacit concurrence of Hanoi. Mr. Su Hao, a researcher on Asia-Pacific studies with the Beijing-based China Foreign Affairs University, said there had been many "subtle changes" in the South China Sea issue in the past year, with countries including Vietnam becoming much tougher and Washington moving away from its previous low-profile tone. "I'm sure the US is the basic reason for the change – it is supporting the other sides," Su said and added: "During a recent visit to Vietnam, I told a Vietnamese officer with diplomatic background that our late leader Deng Xiaoping had said 'since we can't solve the South China Sea issue, we can leave it to the next generation which will be smarter." According to Mr. Su, the Vietnamese officer replied: "That is why we have to solve it now." Mr. Shi Zhan, an international studies researcher at China Foreign Affairs University, said the US is re-flexing its muscles in the South China Sea partly because of the resources in the area.

In an editorial under the title "American Shadow Over South China Sea" published on July 26, the "Global Times" of Beijing wrote: "Maintaining and playing up regional tensions are typical American ways of keeping a presence and causing interference in disputed areas.


On Friday (July 23), US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed "concern" over navigation freedom and offered help in facilitating communication in the South China Sea. Are any of them a major concern in the region at the moment? No. The remarks of secretary Clinton were, of course, made after various US think tanks and media groups created much fanfare about potential clashes that would necessitate the step-in of the US government. Clinton's words clearly signaled America's strategic intentions in the South China Sea. The US will not put regional interests first. This is something that Southeast Asian countries have to bear in mind. Regional stability will be difficult to maintain if the countries concerned allow themselves to be controlled by the strategic guidance of the US. China and its neighboring countries have built a consultative mechanism to smooth out disagreements in the disputed water, and the communication channels are open. Conflicts, though they appear sporadically, are expected to be diminished with deeper understanding. Fully aware of the complexity of the region, China offered a solution of "shelving disagreement and joint development" to help foster trust and move the issue forward. China's objective is clear: to build strategic trust with neighboring countries under China's tolerance and patience. But that hard-earned trust is under threat with the US intention to meddle in the region, and force countries to choose between China and the US. With growing economic power, China and the US may encounter more clashes in China's adjacent sea. Few Southeast Asian countries would like to get in the middle of Sino-US tensions, but like many other regions, they are caught in a dilemma: economically close to China yet militarily guarded against China. Southeast Asian countries need to understand that any attempt to maximize gains by playing a balancing game between China and the US is risky. China's tolerance was sometimes taken advantage of by neighboring countries to seize unoccupied islands and grab natural resources under China's sovereignty. China's long-term strategic plan should never be taken as a weak stand. It is clear that military clashes would bring bad results to all countries in the region involved, but China will never waive its right to protect its core interest with military means. To maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, the solution of "shelving disagreement and joint development" is the only option. "

In another editorial under the heading "US push in Vietnam suspicious", the "Global Times" wrote on July 28,2010: "In another sign that the US is "back to Southeast Asia," the US is approaching its old adversary in the region. During her two-day stay in Vietnam last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed economic cooperation, promised to solve the legacy of Agent Orange, and praised the unlimited potential of improved US-Vietnam relations. The message was clear when the US claimed, on Vietnamese soil, that it is in the US national interest to resolve South China Sea disputes. Embracing a former adversary for broader strategic gains is diplomacy the US is good at. It's true there is still conflict between China and Vietnam over disputed waters and natural resources. Both are hot-button issues that can trigger public resentment toward each other. It is also an obstacle to deepening bilateral ties between China and Vietnam. But from a historical perspective, the two countries have overcome the shadow of past military clashes for mutual benefit. China has been the largest trading partner of Vietnam for five consecutive years. Charting a similar reform road like China, Vietnam is benefiting from economic boom and political stability that is envied by neighboring countries. The desire for mutual economic benefit surpasses the dispute over sea territories and it also lays a solid foundation for solving the dispute peacefully. Two weeks ago, the two sides finished a 1,300-kilometer long land boundary demarcation. Six years ago, the two sides inked the treaty over maritime boundary demarcation at Beibei Gulf, setting a reference point for solving issues over disputed waters in the South China Sea. Pressure to maintain an influence and guard against a rising China, the West is eager to cozy up to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. Meanwhile, the Western media likes to poison Sino-Vietnamese ties by painting China as "an elephant" which can easily trample on the interest of Vietnam. Vietnam should also be careful about not becoming a chess piece for the US as it pursues a broader regional agenda. China does not include Vietnam into its sphere of influence. The two countries are making an effort to build normal nation-to-nation relations. The two can find ways to solve disputes peacefully and avoid being taken advantage of by other countries. "

In bitter attacks on Mrs. Clinton's observations, some Chinese bloggers have accused her of ambushing China in its backyard. There is not yet a similar reaction against the comments of Admiral Mullen, but the Chinese must be nursing a similar, but not yet openly expressed apprehension that there is another US ambush at New Delhi.

These developments call for a strategic naval dialogue between India and Vietnam in order to assess the seriousness of the Chinese maritime threats to the region and exchange views on the options available to India and Vietnam to protect their maritime interests. It would not be advisable to associate the US with the India-Vietnam dialogue on this subject. Any Indo-US dialogue should be kept separate in order not to create any fears in Beijing that India, the US and Vietnam are ganging up to prevent the emergence of China as a naval power.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

U.S., Hanoi in Nuclear Talks

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704741904575409261840078780.html
Vietnam Plan to Enrich Uranium May Undercut Nonproliferation Efforts, Rile China


By JAY SOLOMON

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is in advanced negotiations to share nuclear fuel and technology with Vietnam in a deal that would allow Hanoi to enrich its own uranium—terms that critics on Capitol Hill say would undercut the more stringent demands the U.S. has been making of its partners in the Middle East.

The State Department-led negotiations could unsettle China, which shares hundreds of miles of border with Vietnam. It is the latest example of the U.S.'s renewed assertiveness in South and Southeast Asia, as Washington strengthens ties with nations that have grown increasingly wary of Beijing's growing regional might.


U.S. officials familiar with the matter say negotiators have given a full nuclear-cooperation proposal to the communist country and former Cold War foe, and have started briefing House and Senate foreign-relations committees. A top U.S. official briefed on the negotiation said China hadn't been consulted on the talks. "It doesn't involve China," the official said.

Some counterproliferation experts and U.S. lawmakers briefed on the talks say the deal also marks a step backward in Washington's recent nonproliferation efforts, pointing to a key proviso that would allow Hanoi to produce nuclear fuel on its own soil.

Both the Obama and George W. Bush administrations had been requiring that countries interested in nuclear cooperation with the U.S. renounce the right to enrich uranium in-country for civilian purposes, a right provided to signatories of the United Nations' Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The technologies required to produce fuel for power reactors can also be used to create atomic weapons, raising proliferation fears.

U.S. officials have hailed a nuclear-cooperation agreement that President Barack Obama signed last year with the United Arab Emirates as a nonproliferation model, because the Arab country agreed to purchase all of its nuclear fuel from the international market. The Obama administration is currently negotiating a nuclear pact with Jordan in which Washington is also demanding that the country commit to not developing an indigenous nuclear-fuel cycle.

The senior U.S. official briefed on the Vietnam talks said the State Department is setting a different standard for Hanoi, as the Middle East is viewed as posing a greater proliferation risk than Asia. "Given our special concerns about Iran and the genuine threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, we believe the U.A.E....agreement is a model for the region," said the U.S. official. "These same concerns do not specifically apply in Asia. We will take different approaches region by region and country by country."

Vuong Huu Tan, director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, a government office, said Vietnamese and U.S. officials reached an initial agreement on nuclear cooperation in March and hope to finalize the pact later this year. He said Vietnam didn't plan to enrich uranium, "as it is sensitive to Vietnam to do so."

Atomic Dance

U.S. nuclear-cooperation deals' terms vary by country:

South Korea. Seoul is seeking rights to reprocess spent fuel as it renegotiates its 1974 deal that expires in 2014.
Egypt. Deal struck in 1982 doesn't allow for reprocessing of spent fuel. Like most deals over the decades, it is silent on the issue of uranium enrichment, which has increasingly emerged as a proliferation threat.
India. Pact from 2009 requires New Delhi to separate military and civilian nuclear programs, but allows for the reprocessing of spent fuel.
Congressional staff and nonproliferation experts briefed on the negotiations have been quick to criticize the State Department's position as a rollback of a key Obama administration nonproliferation platform. They also say Washington's position exposes it to criticism from Arab and developing countries that the U.S. is employing a double standard in pursuing its nuclear policies.

This could cause Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other nations currently pursuing cooperation agreements with Washington to balk at accepting the same tough terms as the U.A.E.

"It's ironic...as nonproliferation is one of the president's top goals that the U.A.E. model is not being endorsed here," said a senior Arab official whose government is pursuing nuclear power. "People will start to see a double standard, and it will be a difficult policy to defend in the future."

Nonproliferation experts also challenge the State Department's argument that Asia poses any less of a proliferation threat than the Middle East. They note that North Korea has actively been spreading dual-use technologies to countries such as Myanmar in recent years. Japan is believed to have the technologies to quickly assemble nuclear weapons if the political decision were made.

"After the U.S. set such a good example with the U.A.E., the Vietnam deal not only sticks out, it could drive a stake through the heart of the general effort to rein in the spread of nuclear fuel-making," said Henry Sokolski, executive director of Washington's Nonproliferation Education Center, a public policy think tank.

Vietnam signed an initial memorandum of understanding with the Bush administration in 2001 to pursue cooperation with the U.S. on securing fissile materials and developing civilian nuclear power. The Obama administration has accelerated talks with Hanoi in recent months aimed at completing a deal to allow for the exchange of know-how and cooperation in security, storage and educational areas. It would also allow U.S. firms such as General Electric Co. and Bechtel Corp. to sell nuclear components and reactors to Vietnam, according to U.S. officials.


President Barack Obama welcomes Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington April 12.

"If we're able to have U.S. companies and technologies in play in Vietnam this gives the ability to exert some leverage," said the U.S. official briefed on the negotiations. "If we shut ourselves out, others may have different standards."

U.S. officials stressed that any agreement with Vietnam will require that Hanoi's nuclear installations be under close oversight by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. This is seen as insuring Vietnam's nuclear materials aren't diverted for military purposes.

The Vietnamese are studying the agreement's final draft and further talks are expected in the fall, said American diplomats.

The Obama administration has sought to significantly raise the U.S.'s profile in South and Southeast Asia amid concerns that China has begun to economically and politically dominate the region.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Hanoi last month and noted growing U.S.-Vietnamese cooperation on a range of security, economic and environmental issues. Mrs. Clinton backed Hanoi's position at a regional security forum that calls for establishing an international legal process to solve territorial disputes in the South China Sea. China attacked Mrs. Clinton's position as threatening Beijing's security interests.

"The Obama Administration is prepared to take the U.S.-Vietnam relationship to the next level," Mrs. Clinton said while in Hanoi. "We see this relationship not only as important on its own merits, but as part of a strategy aimed at enhancing American engagement in the Asia Pacific."

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have heated up again in recent weeks after relations between the two countries seemed to have stabilized in the spring.

U.S. officials this week said they haven't been briefing Beijing, or seeking its approval, while conducting the nuclear talks with Vietnam. "This is a negotiation between the U.S. and Vietnam," said the senior U.S. official. "We don't ask China to approve issues that are in our own strategic interest."

Officials at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

The U.S. has taken other steps in recent months to strengthen its ties to South and Southeast Asian nations historically wary of Chinese influence.

Last month, the Pentagon reestablished ties with Indonesia's special forces command, known as Kopassus, after severing them in 1999 due to its alleged human-rights abuses. The U.S. also finalized a nuclear-cooperation agreement with India last week, which allows New Delhi to reprocess U.S.-origin nuclear fuels.

Some governments have criticized the India deal in ways similar to the concern being voiced about the Vietnam arrangement—that it illustrates a U.S. double standard. U.S. officials argue that the deal with India, already a nuclear-weapons state, allows for greater international oversight.

In addition to the South China Sea dispute, the U.S. and China have sparred over the proper response to North Korea's alleged sinking in March of a South Korean naval vessel, the Cheonan. The Obama administration has also publicly opposed China's plans to sell two nuclear-power reactors to Pakistan. Washington says the sale would violate Beijing's commitments to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a Vienna-based body that seeks to control the spread of nuclear technologies.

Write to Jay Solomon at [email protected]


India should try to have a nuclear deal with vietnam??

 

[SHASH2K2]

China shaken by US move to sign nuclear deal with Vietnam Read more: China shaken by

BEIJING: China, which has recently dominated the security situation in North Asia, appeared shaken by a surprise move by the US administration to begin negotiations for a civilian nuclear deal with Vietnam.

Washington has confirmed it in negotiation a deal with Vietnam similar to the one it has signed with India. The move has implications for India, which faced Chinese resistance to its nuclear deal with the US. India is also wary about what it regards as China's non-transparent move to sell two more nuclear reactors to Pakistan.

The US move came a day after Vietnam accused China of violating its sovereignty by conducting seismic exploration near disputed islands in the South China Sea. But Vietnam has assured the world it was not interested in enriching uranium or doing anything with a military objective.

"The US is used to employing double standards when dealing with different countries ... as a global power that has promoted denuclearization, it has challenged its own reputation and disturbed the preset international order," said Teng Jianqun, Deputy Director of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said in a statement.

China, which signed an agreement with the Vietnamese government after negotiations with the Vietnam Atomic Energy Committee in July last year, was hoping to be chosen for nuclear imports until the US delivered the surprise.

China also has a strong economic reason to be upset. A section of foreign investment is moving to Vietnam from south China because of increasing labor and other costs. US assistance for Vietnam's plans to generate 16,000 mw of nuclear power is bound to hasten the process.

The Chinese foreign ministry has not yet reacted to the move. But the state-run China Daily said the move would hamper global nuclear non-proliferation efforts. It pointed out that the US has also signed a deal with India, which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Indian foreign ministry sources said the move will not impact India-US nuclear deal because it has been accepted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The US entering into a transparent deal with Vietnam would only help further the cause of peaceful use of nuclear energy, which is different from the non-transparent deals between Beijing and Pakistan.

The question is whether it will give China further justification to establish two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan.

On its part, Vietnam has indicated it does not intend to enrich uranium or take any measures other than use nuclear technology for purposes other than civilian. "Vietnam doesn't want to make its international relations complicated," Vuong Huu Tan, president of the government-affiliated Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute was quoted by a newspaper as saying.

Read more: China shaken by US move to sign nuclear deal with Vietnam - China - World - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...Vietnam/articleshow/6266844.cms#ixzz0vr1GWc3L

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-shaken-by-US-move-to-sign-nuclear-deal-with-Vietnam/articleshow/6266844.cms

 

[SHASH2K2]

BEIJING: China, which has recently dominated the security situation in North Asia, appeared shaken by a surprise move by the US administration to begin negotiations for a civilian nuclear deal with Vietnam.

Washington has confirmed it in negotiation a deal with Vietnam similar to the one it has signed with India. The move has implications for India, which faced Chinese resistance to its nuclear deal with the US. India is also wary about what it regards as China's non-transparent move to sell two more nuclear reactors to Pakistan.

The US move came a day after Vietnam accused China of violating its sovereignty by conducting seismic exploration near disputed islands in the South China Sea. But Vietnam has assured the world it was not interested in enriching uranium or doing anything with a military objective.

"The US is used to employing double standards when dealing with different countries ... as a global power that has promoted denuclearization, it has challenged its own reputation and disturbed the preset international order," said Teng Jianqun, Deputy Director of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said in a statement.

China, which signed an agreement with the Vietnamese government after negotiations with the Vietnam Atomic Energy Committee in July last year, was hoping to be chosen for nuclear imports until the US delivered the surprise.

China also has a strong economic reason to be upset. A section of foreign investment is moving to Vietnam from south China because of increasing labor and other costs. US assistance for Vietnam's plans to generate 16,000 mw of nuclear power is bound to hasten the process.

The Chinese foreign ministry has not yet reacted to the move. But the state-run China Daily said the move would hamper global nuclear non-proliferation efforts. It pointed out that the US has also signed a deal with India, which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Indian foreign ministry sources said the move will not impact India-US nuclear deal because it has been accepted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The US entering into a transparent deal with Vietnam would only help further the cause of peaceful use of nuclear energy, which is different from the non-transparent deals between Beijing and Pakistan.

The question is whether it will give China further justification to establish two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan.

On its part, Vietnam has indicated it does not intend to enrich uranium or take any measures other than use nuclear technology for purposes other than civilian. "Vietnam doesn't want to make its international relations complicated," Vuong Huu Tan, president of the government-affiliated Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute was quoted by a newspaper as saying.

Read more: China shaken by US move to sign nuclear deal with Vietnam - China - World - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...Vietnam/articleshow/6266844.cms#ixzz0vr1GWc3L

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-shaken-by-US-move-to-sign-nuclear-deal-with-Vietnam/articleshow/6266844.cms

 

[ajtr]

China shaken by US move to sign nuclear deal with Vietnam

China shaken by US move to sign nuclear deal with Vietnam​

BEIJING: China, which has recently dominated the security situation in North Asia, appeared shaken by a surprise move by the US administration to begin negotiations for a civilian nuclear deal with Vietnam.

Washington has confirmed it in negotiation a deal with Vietnam similar to the one it has signed with India. The move has implications for India, which faced Chinese resistance to its nuclear deal with the US. India is also wary about what it regards as China's non-transparent move to sell two more nuclear reactors to Pakistan.

The US move came a day after Vietnam accused China of violating its sovereignty by conducting seismic exploration near disputed islands in the South China Sea. But Vietnam has assured the world it was not interested in enriching uranium or doing anything with a military objective.

"The US is used to employing double standards when dealing with different countries ... as a global power that has promoted denuclearization, it has challenged its own reputation and disturbed the preset international order," said Teng Jianqun, Deputy Director of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said in a statement.

China, which signed an agreement with the Vietnamese government after negotiations with the Vietnam Atomic Energy Committee in July last year, was hoping to be chosen for nuclear imports until the US delivered the surprise.

China also has a strong economic reason to be upset. A section of foreign investment is moving to Vietnam from south China because of increasing labor and other costs. US assistance for Vietnam's plans to generate 16,000 mw of nuclear power is bound to hasten the process.

The Chinese foreign ministry has not yet reacted to the move. But the state-run China Daily said the move would hamper global nuclear non-proliferation efforts. It pointed out that the US has also signed a deal with India, which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Indian foreign ministry sources said the move will not impact India-US nuclear deal because it has been accepted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The US entering into a transparent deal with Vietnam would only help further the cause of peaceful use of nuclear energy, which is different from the non-transparent deals between Beijing and Pakistan.

The question is whether it will give China further justification to establish two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan.

On its part, Vietnam has indicated it does not intend to enrich uranium or take any measures other than use nuclear technology for purposes other than civilian. "Vietnam doesn't want to make its international relations complicated," Vuong Huu Tan, president of the government-affiliated Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute was quoted by a newspaper as saying.

Read more: China shaken by US move to sign nuclear deal with Vietnam - China - World - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...Vietnam/articleshow/6266844.cms#ixzz0vr4Ixy9s

 

[bhramos]

wow a very good strategic movie.................:emot112:
China

 

[ajtr]

US-Vietnam nuke deal 'destabilizing'​

By Ai Yang (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-06 06:57

BEIJING - The "advanced negotiations" between the United States and Vietnam to share nuclear fuel and technology disrupt international stability, Chinese analysts have said.

"The US is used to employing double standards when dealing with different countries ... as a global power that has promoted denuclearization, it has challenged its own reputation and disturbed the preset international order," said Teng Jianqun, deputy-director of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, on Thursday.The US and Vietnam - two former Cold War foes - are in advanced talks to share nuclear fuel and technology, which could "unsettle" China, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Under the agreement, Hanoi will reportedly be allowed to enrich uranium on its own soil, a move that is also expected to hamper global nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Officials at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs have yet to respond to the news.

The latest deal "marked a step backward in Washington's recent nonproliferation efforts", the Journal reported. Since the George W. Bush administration, Washington has been requiring countries interested in nuclear cooperation with the US to renounce the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes, as the technology also can be used to make atomic weapons.

The Obama administration has accelerated nuclear talks with Hanoi, initiated back in 2001, in recent months.

"If we're able to have US companies and technologies in play in Vietnam, this gives the ability to exert some leverage," the Journal quoted US officials as saying. "If we shut ourselves out, others may have different standards."

Analysts said it was not the first time Washington has ignored international regulations over the issue.

In 2008, the US signed a nuclear technology deal with India, which did not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and therefore was not entitled to receiving such transfers. The deal was still granted an exemption due to the US insistence.

"Washington thinks that because Asia is much different from the Middle East and will be less concerned about nuclear terrorism, its deal with Hanoi will not attract too much opposition," Teng said.

Beijing will not be directly threatened by the deal but it will still have to be on its guard, analysts said.

"We cannot turn a blind eye to the situation," said Li Qinggong, deputy secretary-general of the China Council for National Security Policy Studies.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said while visiting Hanoi in July that "the Obama administration is prepared to take the US-Vietnam relationship to the next level".

"We see this relationship not only as important on its own merits, but as part of a strategy aimed at enhancing American engagement in the Asia Pacific," she said.

"It is the latest example of the US' renewed assertiveness in South and Southeast Asia", the Journal reported.

"It means the US is strengthening cooperation with Vietnam to contain China. To Washington, the geo-strategic consideration has surpassed nuclear nonproliferation," said Fan Jishe, a researcher of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"But the latest development is certainly not going to block China's way forward. It is sad that the US still has a Cold War mentality," Teng said. "On the other hand, China need not panic or raise its voice."

Wang Haishan and Cui Haipei contributed to this story.

 

[ajtr]

So uncle and dragon are playing cat and mouse with each other.So what will be the next counter move from china any one guess???? Dragon i can guess will announce its civil nuke deal with north korea /iran or Myanmar.

 

[ajtr]

will china encourage the Khmer Rouge once again against the vietnam to balance usa-vietnam axis.Or is it that china getting weary of Indo-vietnam-usa axis.....???