Politik - Demokratie (2014/4)

31.08.2014 By Peter Taberner (Prague Post) - EC president visited Ho Chi Minh City on trade mission A speech by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to increase trade links with Vietnam. “I came here a second time precisely because I believe in the potential of this country and of our bilateral relations,” he told leading business figures at the European Chamber of Commerce in Ho Chi Minh City. “I believe we have much to gain from working more closely with each other, whether on political or economic matters. This was also the message that I passed yesterday to the top leadership of the country, the Prime-Minister and the President of the Party,” he said.

Despite this praise for liberalizing the economy, Barroso revealed that he still believes that more reforms are needed in Vietnam, with fighting corruption and ensuring that there is a fully functioning and independent legal system in place. [read more]

Photos reveal newly constructed Chinese military facilities in Spratly Islands

30.08.2014 By Manabu Sasaki (The Asahi Shimbun) - PHNOM PENH--China is rushing to build military-related facilities on reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, aerial photos taken by the Philippine military show.

Despite requests from Manila to refrain from such actions, which “will likely increase tensions,” Beijing seems determined to strengthen its presence in the region.

“Constructing a military airstrip and a port, China may be aiming at forcibly controling the South China Sea,” a Philippine military senior official said. Pic: Newly constructed facilities on an artificial island on Johnson South Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, on July 29 (Provided by Philippine military sources)  [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Learning From China’s Oil Rig Standoff With Vietnam

30.08.2014 By Paul J. Leaf (The Diplomat) - Understanding the motives behind Beijing’s provocation will help the US and its partners deal with future incidents.

On May 2, China unilaterally placed an oil-drilling rig in waters 120 miles from Vietnam’s coast – near islands claimed by both countries and well within Hanoi’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone set by international law. From the outset, approximately thirty Vietnamese vessels tried to intervene, but were repelled by the eighty plus Chinese ships protecting the rig. Although the platform was scheduled to maintain its position until August 15, China withdrew it on July 16.

China’s overreach was costly, among other things it accelerated a developing arms race in Asia and amplified calls for Washington and Tokyo to counter Beijing. Still, China acquired useful information to hone its ongoing strategy in the South China Sea. Understanding why Beijing took this action and its attendant lessons will help Washington and its partners deal with China. [read more]

EEUU: China debe dejar de agravar tensiones

29.08.2014 (Univision) - HONOLULU (AP) — China debería empezar a actuar como un líder regional y ayudar a resolver las disputas en el Mar de Sur de China en vez de estar agravando las tensiones, dijo el viernes el comandante de las fuerzas estadounidenses en el Pacífico.

El almirante Samuel Locklear dijo que China debería retractarse de recientes gestos en que se declara soberana de casi toda esa región, pues son provocadores y desestabilizadores, dijo Locklear en una reunión con periodistas internacionales. Exhortó a Beijing a dirimir sus conflictos en los organismos internacionales. [seguir leyendo]

Xi Jinping Meets Vietnamese Leader

28.08.2014 By Shannon Tiezzi (The Diplomat) - Vietnam and China have smoothed over tensions, but a long-term solution remains elusive. As The Diplomat reported earlier, Vietnam sent a special envoy to China for bilateral talks this week. Politburo member Le Hong Anh, acting as a special envoy from Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) General-Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, met with high-ranking Chinese leaders. Anh’s visit was embraced by both sides as a chance to mend bilateral ties that soured earlier this summer during a standoff over the placement of a Chinese oil rig in disputed waters.

Anh met with Chinese President (and CCP General-Secretary) Xi Jinping on Wednesday afternoon. During their meeting, Xi emphasized the common bond between the two countries, as neighbors and communist regimes. As Xi put it, “A neighbor cannot be moved away and it is in the common interests of both sides to be friendly to each other.” This, in essence, is the root of China’s “neighborhood diplomacy” policy — acknowledging that friendly ties with the countries in China’s immediate area will be the most important factor in providing a peaceful environment for China’s continued rise. [read more] 

China y Vietnam declaran una “tregua” en sus tensiones marítimas

27.08.2014 (El Mundo) - Representantes de los regímenes comunistas de Vietnam y China reunidos hoy en Pekín, tras meses de tensiones marítimas por la soberanía de las islas Paracel, acordaron hoy una “tregua” para “no llevar a cabo acciones que empeoren sus disputas en el conflicto marítimo”, informó hoy la agencia oficial Xinhua.

La declaración fue anunciada tras la reunión entre Le Hong Anh, enviado especial del Partido Comunista de Vietnam, y Liu Yunshan, jefe del Secretariado de la homóloga formación china. [seguir leyendo]

"Vietnam will Beziehung zu China stabilisieren"

Es ist fast ein Friedensangebot: Angesichts des Territorialkonflikts mit China schickt Vietnam einen Sonderbotschafter nach Peking. Martin Großheim erklärt im DW-Interview, warum dennoch nichts wie früher sein wird.

26.08.2014 (VW) - Am Dienstag (26.08.2014) brach er auf nach China: Le Hong Anh, ein Mitglied des Politbüros der Kommunistischen Partei Vietnams. "Das Ziel der Reise ist es, Mittel und Wege zu diskutieren, um wachsenden Spannungen zu mildern und zu vermeiden. Zugleich soll die Beziehung zwischen den beiden Parteien und Ländern vertieft werden", sagte der Sprecher des vietnamesischen Außenministeriums, Le Hai Binh. [Weiterlesen]

Enviado de Vietnam visita China para aliviar tensión territorial por islas

26.08.2014 (HOY) - Pekín, 26 ago (EFE).- Un enviado especial del Gobierno de Vietnam llega hoy a China para tratar de reducir las tensiones entre su país y la potencia asiática debido a la disputa que ambos mantienen por las islas Paracel (Xisha en mandarín), controladas por Pekín.

Según publica hoy el diario hongkonés South China Morning Post (SCMP), se trata de Le Hong Anh, quinto miembro del Politburó del Partido Comunista de Vietnam, quien estará en la potencia asiática dos días tras haber sido invitado por el Partido Comunista de China. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam y China intentan mejorar relaciones

25.08.2014 (terra) - Vietnam envió a un dirigente del Partido Comunista a China esta semana para tratar de mejorar las relaciones, afectadas por la decisión de Beijing de instalar una plataforma petrolera en aguas reclamadas por Hanoi.

La instalación de la plataforma en mayo desató la indignación de Vietnam y desembocó en rumores de que el gobierno estaría reevaluando su relación con Beijing, incluso con la posibilidad de aliarse con Estados Unidos y otras naciones asiáticas envueltas en disputas territoriales con China. Le Hong Anh, miembro del Politburó, visitará China invitado por ese país. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam seeking to balance relations with China

25.08.2014 (DW) - In a bid to ease tensions after the deployment of a Chinese oil rig to disputed waters, Vietnam is sending a special envoy to Beijing. But Martin Großheim tells DW the row has changed the way Vietnamese perceive China.

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said on Monday, August 25, that Le Hong Anh, a member of the Communist Party's powerful politburo, had been invited to meet Chinese leaders. "The goal of the trip is to discuss measures to ease and avoid escalating tensions as before, while also deepening relations between the two parties and countries," said ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh.

The two-day visit, set to begin on Tuesday, is a move to improve ties between the Communist neighbors which have been locked in a dispute over parts of the South China Sea. The spat intensified when Beijing deployed a massive oil rig in waters Vietnam claims as its exclusive economic zone. [read more]

Vietnam Sends Envoy to China to Smooth Tensions

25.08.2014 (ABC News) - Vietnam is sending a senior Communist party official to China this week to try to rebuild relations badly bit by Beijing's decision to deploy an oil rig in waters claimed by Hanoi in May.

The movement of the rig by China triggered a furious reaction in Hanoi and led to speculation the secretive government might be reconsidering its relationship with Beijing, perhaps favoring a tilt to the United States as other Southeast Asian nations locked in territorial disputes with China have.

But several analysts have said the government was split between those favoring a strategic shift to Washington and a faction believing that China, its ideological ally, giant neighbor and vital economic partner, can be accommodated despite Beijing's stated claims on large parts of the South China Sea that Hanoi believes are its own. [read more]

China defends intercepting US Navy plane

24.08.2014 (DW) - China defends interception of US Navy aircraft. China's Defense Ministry has defended what Washington termed a "dangerous"interception of a US Navy surveillance aircraft by a Chinese fighter jet. In a statement, it described the US accusations as "groundless."

On Friday, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said that Washington had lodged a protest against China through diplomatic channels following the "dangerous intercept" of a US Navy aircraft by a Chinese fighter jet, 200 km east of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Pentagon: Chinesischer Kampfjet kam US-Maschine "gefährlich" nahe

22.08.2014 (derStandard.at) - Hainan/Washington - Ein chinesischer Kampfjet ist nach Darstellung des Pentagons einer US-Militärmaschine im Flug gleich drei Mal "gefährlich" nahegekommen. Das Kampfflugzeug habe sich über internationalen Gewässern vor der Küste Chinas bis auf knapp zehn Meter einem Seeaufklärer vom Typ P-8 "Poseidon" genähert, teilte das Verteidigungsministerium am Freitag in Washington mit.

Der Vorfall ereignete sich demnach schon am Dienstag östlich der chinesischen Insel Hainan. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]

Demokratie-Referendum in Macao

21.08.2014 (DW) - Nach dem Vorbild der Demokratiebewegung Hongkongs wollen Aktivisten in Macao kommende Woche ein Referendum über politische Reformen abhalten. Sie werden einen langen Atem brauchen.

Zum Machtkampf zwischen der Pro-Demokratie-Bewegung in Hongkong und der Führung in Peking gesellt sich jetzt auch Macao, die ehemals portugiesische Kolonie rund 30 Kilometer westlich von Hongkong. Ab dem kommenden Wochenende wollen drei Bürgerrechtsgruppen - "Macao Conscience", "Open Macao Society" und "Youth Dynamic" - ein inoffizielles Referendum abhalten.

Die Organisatoren räumen ein, dass das Referendum keine rechtliche Wirkung hat. Trotzdem hat die Regierung Macaos das Vorhaben bereits als illegal gebrandmarkt. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]

PLA reports maritime drill near Vietnam simulating threat to oil rig

24.08.2014 Minnie Chan (South China Morning Post) - The People's Liberation Army recently staged a drill in waters close to Vietnam in the South China Sea, simulating a scenario in which an oil rig was surrounded by foreign fishing boats.

The drill, which took place in waters near Beibu Gulf, which is known as the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam, involved dozens of vessels from 10 military and civilian units, as well as several aircraft from the South Sea Fleet's naval aviation unit, a report posted on the PLA Daily website said yesterday. [read more]

Academic flap turns up heat on China's Confucius Institutes

22.08.2014 By Robert Marquand, Staff writer (The Christian Science Monitor) - Beijing — Just as China has exercised its clout with Japan and Vietnam over major territorial disputes, it is showing a willingness to dictate terms at more modest levels as well in its engagement with the international community.

Late in July, in Portugal, a Chinese official apparently hijacked the printed programs for a conference of European scholars on China. The official then returned them – minus pages that contained references to a Taiwan think tank. ...

In June, the influential American Association of University Professors called for the ending of Confucius Institutes on US campuses until standards of academic freedom and terms of what they called ‘secretive partnership contracts’ became more transparent. Unlike Germany's Goethe Institutes or France's Alliance Française, Confucius Institutes are not run independently, but rely on partnerships with the host colleges. [read more]

Delicate diplomacy for Vietnam

22.08.2014 By Brian Leung (Asia Times) - Rising territorial tensions and the recent oil rig crisis have put Sino-Vietnamese ties on the rocks, driving Hanoi to ramp up strategic alliances with other regional powers, particularly the United States. But Vietnam is not poised to completely drop the gauntlet by jettisoning its deep-seated reliance on its giant northern neighbor that has both burgeoned and bedeviled bilateral ties.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Vietnam last week, marking the highest ranking military officer to visit Vietnam since 1971. During his four-day landmark tour, Dempsey met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and high-ranking military leaders in Hanoi, visited the central city of Da Nang, a strategic deep water harbor facing the South China Sea previously used by American forces, and symbolically concluded his trip in Ho Chi Minh City, once the political and economic hub of the US-backed regime during the Vietnam War. [read more]

Mission Hanoi to woo China irritants

21.08.2014 Charu Sudan Kasturi (Telegraph India) - New Delhi, Aug. 21: India is refining its two-decade-old Look East policy to try and wean away investments in China by countries locked in disputes with Beijing, the move coming days ahead of meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top Asia Pacific region leaders.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj will meet all Indian ambassadors to Southeast Asian nations in Hanoi on August 26 to outline plans to build on economic and strategic opportunities opened up by the regional tensions, senior government officials said. [read more]

Continue the push for human rights in Vietnam

20.08.2014 Posted by Thanh Tan (The Seattle Times) - Remarkable changes are afoot in Vietnam, a country that Americans left in humiliating fashion nearly 40 years ago when Saigon fell to communist forces.

Last week, the U.S. Army’s highest-ranking official visited Hanoi to mend old war wounds and to set the stage for a new, friendlier era that goes beyond diplomacy to possibly include arms sales to Vietnam. Here’s what U.S. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told USA Today in a Aug. 18 news report

“That’s not to say it won’t happen without some effort. But I think there’s a possibility that Vietnam could be a very strong partner. Look at our history with the British or the Germans or the Japanese. It could be like a phoenix rising from the ashes. That’s what I hope happens here in this relationship.”

For many in Seattle’s large Vietnamese-American community, including myself, it’s difficult to view any actions by Vietnam’s government without skepticism. Overseas Vietnamese — predominantly made up of refugees and citizens of the former South Vietnam forced to flee after the communist takeover — have long staged protests and movements for democracy, religious freedom and human rights in their homeland. The regime has largely ignored those pleas— until now. [read more]

Chinas Rundfunk erklärt Vietnams Diplomatie

19.08.2014 (der Freitag) - Diplomatie Die Beziehungen vieler ost- und südostasiatische Staaten gegenüber sind von Nachbarschaftsproblemen geprägt – insbesondere mit China. Die USA profitieren davon.

Am Rande des Außenministertreffen der ASEAN und des Ostasiengipfels in der burmesischen Hauptstadt Naypyidaw trafen sich auch Chefdiplomaten, die einander sonst zur Zeit eher selten zu Gesicht bekommen: so führte der japanische Außenminister Fumio Kishida ein Gespräch mit seinem nordkoreanischen Amtskollegen Ri Su Yong und ein weiteres mit dem südkoreanischen Außenminister Yun Byung-se.

Sowohl Japans Beziehungen mit Pyongyang als auch die mit Seoul gelten als verbesserungswürdig. Voraussetzung für Verbesserungen sei eine japanische Aufrichtigkeit hinsichtlich historischer Angelegenheiten und Kriegsverbrechen, gab der Südkoreaner Kishida mit auf den Weg. [Weiterlesen]

Chinese military’s ability to wage war eroded by graft, its generals warn

19.08.2014 Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan (Reuters) - BEIJING - As tensions spike between China and other countries in Asia's disputed waters, serving and retired Chinese military officers as well as state media are questioning whether China's armed forces are too corrupt to fight and win a war.

A slew of articles in official media in recent months have drawn parallels with the rampant graft in the People's Liberation Army and how a corrupt military contributed to China's defeat in the Sino-Japan War 120 years ago. [read more]

US Could Scrap Ban on Arms Sales to Vietnam

19.08.2014 Lien Hoang (VOA) - HO CHI MINH CITY — The top U.S. military officer traveled to Vietnam last week to help strengthen regional security at a time when Vietnamese fear armed conflict with China over maritime disputes.

The visit by Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, increased prospects that the United States may soon scrap its weapons embargo on Vietnam. But at the same time, Dempsey tempered hopes of heightened military cooperation with a message that Asia should not look to the United States when it clashes with China. [read more]

Papst ruft China und Vietnam zum Dialog auf

17.08.2014 (DW) - Papst Franziskus hat China und Vietnam zur diplomatischen Öffnung gegenüber dem Vatikan aufgerufen. Am vorletzten Tag seiner Südkorea-Reise kam er mit Bischöfen aus Asien zu einem Dialog zusammen.

Der Papst forderte die Bischöfe auf, angesichts der Vielfalt der asiatischen Kulturen "kreativ und beweglich" zu sein und Einfühlungsvermögen zu zeigen. Dialog müsse "wesentlicher Bestandteil der Sendung der Kirche" in Asien sein. Dies erfordere "Offenheit gegenüber allen". Geist und Herz müssten sich öffnen, "um Einzelne und Kulturen anzunehmen". [Weiterlesen]

Pope tells Asia's communist nations not to fear Christians

17.08.2014 (The Asahi Shimbun) - HAEMI, South Korea--Pope Francis, in remarks clearly intended for communist-ruled countries such as China, North Korea and Vietnam, said on Aug. 17 that Asian governments should not fear Christians as they did not want to "come as conquerors" but be integral parts of local cultures.

Francis made his comments, some of them unscripted, in an address to about 70 bishops from 35 Asian countries gathered in the town of Haeme, south of Seoul, on the next-to-last day of his trip to South Korea.

He told them the Church was committed to dialogue with everyone, saying: "In this spirit of openness to others, I earnestly hope that those countries of your continent with whom the Holy See does not yet enjoy a full relationship, may not hesitate to further a dialogue for the benefit of all." [read more]

Papa: dispuestos a dialogar con los Países que no tienen relaciones diplomáticas con nosotros

17.08.2014 (AsiaNews) - Daejeón - La Santa Sede está dispuesta a dialogar también con aquellos Países que no tienen aún relaciones diplomáticas plenas con ella. Lo dijo esta mañana el Papa Francisco, encontrando a una representación de los obispos de toda Asia, reunidos en el santuario dedicado a los mártires coreanos de Haemi, en el ámbito de su visita apostólica a Corea. "Espero firmemente- dijo a los presentes- que los Países de vuestro continente con los cuales la S. Sede no tiene todavía relaciones plenas no dudarán en promover un diálogo en beneficio de todos".

Actualmente, las naciones asiáticas que no tienen relaciones diplomáticas con el Vaticano son China, Corea del Norte, Vietnam, Laos, Camboya, Brunei y Bhután. Encontrando a los periodistas para un descanso después del diálogo del Papa con los obispos- a puertas cerradas- el director de la Sala de Prensa de la S. Sede, el p. Lombardi quiso aclarar que la invitación "no está dirigida sólo a China, evidentemente, sino a todas estas realidades diversas entre ellas".  [seguir leyendo]

Südchinesisches Meer - Eiszeit zwischen China und Südostasien

11.08.2014 Von Christoph Hein (FAZ) - Im Streit um das Südchinesische Meer zeichnet sich keine Einigung ab. Wieder einmal warnten jetzt einige der Anrainerländer vor einer drohenden Gefahr der bewaffneten Auseinandersetzung. „Wir bleiben ernsthaft besorgt angesichts der jüngsten Entwicklungen, bei denen die Spannungen im Südchinesischen Meer gewachsen sind“, heißt es in der Abschlusserklärung der Konferenz der Außenminister der zehn südostasiatischen Länder. „Wir betonen noch einmal die Bedeutung, Frieden und Stabilität zu erhalten, die maritime Sicherheit und die Freiheit des Schiffsverkehrs. Alle beteiligten Länder sollten ihre Dispute auf friedlichem Wege lösen, ohne mit Gewalt zu drohen oder sie einzusetzen.“

Der Dauerstreit war in der vergangenen Woche wieder entbrannt, weil China auf fünf Inseln, die auch Vietnam für sich beansprucht, Leuchttürme bauen lässt. Die Vietnamesen erklärten dies für illegal.

In Naypyitaw verhinderte China den Plan der Philippinen, gestützt von den Amerikanern ein Moratorium für die Eroberung des Südchinesischen Meeres auszurufen. Die Philippinen warfen den Chinesen ein „aggressives Vorgehen beim Durchsetzen territorialer Ansprüche“ vor. Die Chinesen ihrerseits versuchten ihre Taktik fortzusetzen, die südostasiatischen Länder in Einzelverhandlungen zu spalten. [Weiterlesen]

China rebuffs U.S. efforts on South China Sea tensions

11.08.2014 (The Asahi Shimbun) - NAYPYIDAW--China appeared to rebuff pressure from the United States to rein in its assertive actions in the South China Sea on Aug. 10 as Southeast Asian nations declined to overtly back Washington's proposal for a freeze on provocative acts.

Foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations released a statement expressing concern over "increased tensions" and called for stepped-up talks with China, in what U.S. officials said was a setback for Beijing's efforts to play down the disputes.

But there was no specific mention of China, and ASEAN only "noted" a formal three-point plan submitted by U.S. ally the Philippines for a moratorium on destabilizing actions. [read more]

Asean calls for progress on Code of Conduct

11.08.2014 By Nirmal Ghosh (ANN) - EXPRESSING serious concern over increased tension in the South China Sea, Asean foreign ministers have called for quick progress on a long-delayed Code of Conduct (COC) to manage disputes in the waters where China has rival claims with four Asean states.

The ministers' joint communique issued yesterday did not name China in its reference to the South China Sea but urged "all parties concerned" to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions which would complicate the situation and undermine peace, stability and security in the area. [read more]

Vietnam seeks allies in face of China threat

11.08.2014 (Intellasia) - CHINA’S South China Sea thrusts have triggered a rift within the only other fraternal Communist Party that still runs a major country – Vietnam. Hanoi appears determined to answer that domestic challenge through an international show of strength that includes affirming closer relations with the US, Japan and India. Vietnam will thus play a leading role as Asean members discuss the increasingly fraught issue of maritime tensions at their Regional Forum in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, this weekend.

Foreign ministers from “dialogue” countries will also be attending, including Julie Bishop, US Secretary of State John Kerry and China’s Foreign minister Wang Yi.

As the fallout continues following the recent 10-week deployment of a Chinese oil rig in waters claimed by both countries, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party has been challenged to introduce political reforms by an influential group of members. [read more]

La ASEAN expresa su "seria" preocupación por las tensiones en el Mar del Sur de China

10.08.2014 (lainformacion.com) - Bangkok, 10 ago (EFE).- Los ministros de Exteriores de la Asociación de Naciones del Sudeste Asiático (ASEAN) expresaron hoy su "seria" preocupación por las tensiones surgidas en las disputas territoriales en el Mar del Sur de China entre algunos países firmantes y el gigante asiático.

"Permanecemos seriamente preocupados sobre los recientes desarrollos que han incrementado la tensión en el Mar del Sur de China", se indica en el comunicado conjunto de la reunión publicado en el portal de internet de la Asociación.

La palabra "seriamente" fue introducida en el texto final a petición de Vietnam, ya que en el primer borrador no aparecía, indicó la agencia japonesa Kyodo. [seguir leyendo]

La ASEAN pide avanzar en Código de Conducta para apaciguar disputas marítimas

10.08.2014 (lainformacion.com) - Bangkok, 10 ago.- Los ministros de Asuntos Exteriores de la Asociación de Naciones del Sudeste Asiático (ASEAN) han instado en un comunicado conjunto a avanzar en la firma de un Código de Conducta con China para tratar de apaciguar las disputas territoriales en la zona.

"Urgimos a todas las partes a actuar con moderación y evitar cualquier acción que pueda complicar la situación y socavar la paz, estabilidad y seguridad en el Mar del Sur de China", indica el comunicado final al término de la reunión en la capital birmana.

En los últimos años, China, Vietnam y Filipinas han protagonizado varios episodios que han avivado el conflicto soberanista en varias islas y atolones ubicados en esta zona. [seguir leyendo]

Beijing hints it may stop activities in South China Sea if Manila drops arbitration

09.08.2014 (Nikkei Asian Review) NAYPYIDAW -- China would be willing to halt its activities in disputed areas in the South China Sea if the Philippines backs out of international arbitration it initiated last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario proposed at a regional security summit here what he termed a "triple-action plan" in a bid to resolve territorial disputes and escalating tensions in the region.

Manila's proposal calls for the imposition of a moratorium on all unilateral actions in disputed waters on an "immediate" basis; the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the early conclusion of a binding Code of Conduct on an "intermediate" basis; and ultimately, an arbitration process to settle disputes. [read more]

A View From the Sea, as China Flexes Muscle

09.08.2014 By Austin Ramzy (The New York Times) - ABOARD CSB-8003, in the South China Sea — As the large white Chinese ship closed in, the smaller Vietnamese Coast Guard vessel could only veer off, black exhaust billowing from its stack. The Vietnamese vessel had advanced to within 13 miles of the Chinese offshore oil rig, and the Chinese decided it could come no closer.

About six hours after the encounter on July 15, one of the last in a two-and-a-half-month standoff over the rig known as HD 981, China began moving the rig north toward the Chinese island of Hainan and out of waters Vietnam considers its exclusive economic zone. Three weeks later, analysts are still debating whether China, facing international pressure, blinked in its standoff with Vietnam — or whether this was just a tactical retreat before a more aggressive campaign. [read more]

Südchinesisches Meer: China streitet mit Vietnam über Bau von Leuchttürmen

09.08.2014 (Der Spiegel) - Hamburg - Neuer Streit um die Vorherrschaft im Südchinesischen Meer: China hat den Bau mehrerer Leuchttürme auf den Paracel-Inseln angekündigt. Vietnam reagierte wie üblich - mit scharfer Kritik.

Seit Jahren schwelt der Konflikt um die Vorherrschaft im Südchinesischen Meer, zwischen China und Vietnam kam es wegen des Streits um die Paracel-Inseln im Mai zu einer ernsten diplomatischen Krise. Beide Nationen beanspruchen das rohstoffreiche Gebiet für sich. Weil China eine Bohrinsel in das umstrittene Gebiet schleppte, kam es in Vietnam zu Unruhen. In dieser angespannten Atmosphäre werden selbst kleine Veränderungen aufmerksam registriert. [Weiterlesen]

China Defends South China Sea Lighthouses

09.08.2014 By Agence France-Presse (Jakarta Globe) - China has defended the building of lighthouses on islands in the South China Sea, calling them its “inherent territory” amid tensions with Vietnam and other nations that also claim parts of the region.

“China has long been building and maintaining lighthouses and other navigational aids on islands” in the Xisha and Nansha chains, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement posted on the ministry’s website Friday.

“What China has done is beyond any reproach since it provides necessary measures to safeguard the navigational safety of vessels passing by and serves the public good in conformity with the requirement of relevant international rules,” Hua said. [read more]

U.S. call for South China Sea 'freeze' gets cool response from China

09.08.2014 By Paul Mooney and Lesley Wroughton (Reuters) - NAYPYIDAW - A U.S. proposal for a freeze on provocative acts in the South China Sea got a cool response from China and some Southeast Asian nations on Saturday, an apparent setback to Washington's efforts to rein in China's assertive actions. To China's annoyance, the United States is using a regional meeting in Myanmar this weekend to step up its engagement in the maritime tension by calling for a moratorium on actions such as China's planting of a giant oil rig in Vietnamese waters in May. [read more]

McCain confident of support for easing arms embargo on Vietnam

08.08.2014 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain said on Friday he was confident of bipartisan support in Washington for easing restrictions on arms sales to Vietnam as early as next month.

Together with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, McCain met Vietnam's prime minister and the ruling Communist Party's chief on Friday. Both senators said Vietnam needed better maritime capabilities and its human rights record had improved enough to justify more military support from Washington. [read more]

China anuncia la construcción de 5 faros en las disputadas islas Paracel

08.08.2014 (El Día) - Pekín (EFE).- China confirmó sus planes de construir, pese a las protestas de Estados Unidos y varios países vecinos, cinco faros en islas del archipiélago Paracel (Xisha en mandarín), que se disputa con Vietnam, en aguas del Mar de China Meridional, informó hoy el diario South China Morning Post.

El Centro de Navegación de China en el citado mar anunció que tras meses de investigación ha elegido ya el emplazamiento de las cuatro estructuras, pese a las protestas del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Vietnam, que ha criticado los planes de construcción y ha defendido su soberanía "indisputable" sobre las Paracel.

El pasado mes de mayo, la instalación de una plataforma petrolífera en aguas próximas a las Paracel desencadenó varios incidentes en los que buques vietnamitas intentaron impedir esos trabajos y barcos chinos los repelieron. [seguir leyendo] - [tiếng Việt]

China's grand plan for the South China Sea

08.08.2014 By Billy Tea (Asia Times) - Whether China's decision to remove an oil exploration rig from waters hotly contested with neighboring Vietnam was motivated by bad weather, a completed mission, or rising diplomatic pressure from the United States, the move was the latest phase of Beijing's grand plan to assert its sovereignty over the South China Sea.

There is a geo-strategic rationale rooted in realist foreign policies for Beijing's rising assertiveness in the maritime area. In order to understand the present and anticipate the future, it is essential to look beyond recent events as isolated incidents and instead look towards Beijing's long-term ambition for the ighly strategic, hydrocarbon-rich sea.

Yet the biggest mistake any onlooker could make would be to view the HYSY 981 event as a one-off occurrence rather than as a carefully calculated move that is part of a wider strategy. [read more]

South China Sea rows cloud Asean talks

08.08.2014 By Nirmal Ghosh (ANN) - Amid simmering volatility across the region, Asean foreign ministers are meeting today among themselves and later with counterparts from the United States, China, India and other countries in Myanmar's capital, to work out common positions on potentially contentious issues.

As dark monsoon clouds and periodic thundershowers rolled outside, senior officials huddled indoors yesterday, deep in negotiation over the text of the joint communique to be issued by the Asean ministers as early as tonight or as late as Sunday.

The routine work of the 10-state grouping in readying for the integrated Asean Economic Community by the end of 2015 is plodding forward.

But territorial disputes in the South China Sea, which have tested Asean unity, also figure prominently in the talks. [read more]

Row over ‘provocative’ acts looms ahead of ASEAN talks

07.08.2014 (AsiaOne) AFP - SINGAPORE - A US and Southeast Asian push for a freeze in "provocative" acts in disputed waters has set the stage for a showdown with China at a regional security summit, analysts said.

Recent acts by China, including the positioning of an oil rig in waters also claimed by Vietnam, have alarmed neighbours and Washington ahead of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Sunday in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw.

"The US is lobbying for a strong push at the ARF for adherence to international law to keep the situation in the South China Sea peaceful," said Australia-based Southeast Asia expert Carl Thayer. [read more]

China to build lighthouses on five isles in defiance of U.S. call

07.08.2014 (Yahoo News) - BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to build lighthouses on five islands in the South China Sea, state media reported on Thursday, in defiance of calls from the United States and the Philippines for a freeze on such activity to ease tension over rival claims.

At least two of the islands upon which China said it will put up lighthouses appear to be in waters also claimed by Vietnam.

Overlapping claims in the South China Sea have fuelled confrontation in recent months with China, which claims 90 percent of the sea, at odds with Vietnam and the Philippines in particular.

The state-run China News Service said Chinese authorities had been surveying sites for lighthouses on five islands, known in English as North Reef, Antelope Reef, Drummond Island, South Sand and Pyramid Rock. [read more]

Tokyo warns that Beijing's provocations can start a war

05.08.2014 (AsiaNews) - Tokyo - China's "dangerous" attitude and its attempts to undermine international law in the East China Sea " may cause unintended consequences" in the region, this according to Japan's white paper on defence.

The study also warns that an unpredictable North Korea "repeatedly uses militarily provocative words and actions".

The 505-pages paper points the finger at Beijing's exponential increase in military spending, noting that Tokyo is doing the same for the first time in 12 years.

For Japan the latest in a series of hostile acts was the Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), that China unilaterally declared at the end of 2013. [read more]

Tokio advierte: Las provocaciones de Beijing pueden iniciar una guerra

05.08.2014 (AsiaNews) - Tokio - La actitud "peligrosa" de China y sus intentos de derrocar al derecho internacional en el Mar Oriental de China "podría conducir a consecuencias imprevistas" en la región por parte del Japón. Del mismo modo, "la continua provocación de Corea del Norte" y sus actitudes "irracionales" no deben subestimarse.. Esto fue escrito por el gobierno japonés, liderado por conservador Shinzo Abe, en el anual "Libro Blanco" de la Defensa del Sol Naciente. El libro, de 505 páginas, señala con el dedo al aumento exponencial en el gasto militar en Beijing y subraya que Tokio, después de 12 años, ha aumentado su propio presupuesto militar.

El último gesto hostil considerado de Japón está representado por el área de identificación de defensa aérea (ADIZ), declarada unilateralmente por el gobierno chino a finales de 2013. La Zona, que de hecho aumenta efectivamente los limites bajo el control aéreo del Dragón, también ha sido criticada por Washington: Según varios analistas, es precisamente en este ámbito que podría abrirse un conflicto militar entre las dos potencias asiáticas. [read more]

Vietnam, China and the Oil Rig Crisis: Who Blinked?

Did Vietnam buckle under Chinese pressure or did China blink?

04.08.2014 By Carl Thayer (The Diplomat) - China’s unexpected announcement on July 15 that it was withdrawing its mega oil drilling platform from Vietnamese waters early has resulted in a debate among academic specialists about the reasons why.

Zachary Abuza, a professor at Simmons College in Boston, argues that Vietnam buckled under Chinese pressure, while Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, argues that Vietnam stood its ground and China blinked. [read more]

CHINA: We Can Build Whatever We Want On The South China Sea Islands

04.08.2014 Ben Blanchard, Reuters (Business Insider) - BEIJING (Reuters) - China can build whatever it wants on its islands in the South China Sea, a senior Chinese official said on Monday, rejecting proposals ahead of a key regional meeting to freeze any activity that may raise tensions in disputed waters there.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers this week hold security talks with counterparts, including those from the United States and China, in Myanmar, with escalating tensions over maritime disputes in Asia likely to be a major issue.

The Philippines will propose a freeze on all activity that raises tension in disputed waters in the South China Sea as part of a three-part plan at the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting, Manila's foreign minister said last week. [read more]

Philippines says China sea action plan gaining support

04.08.2014 (The Star) - MANILA (AFP) - The Philippines said Monday it has won support from Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei for a plan to ease tensions in the South China Sea which it intends to present at a regional meeting this week.

China and several of its Southeast Asian neighbours are embroiled in increasingly bitter territorial disputes over the strategic sea which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

Manila's plan calls for an immediate moratorium on activities which escalate tensions and implementation of a code of conduct in the sea, which is home to vital shipping routes and is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

The plan, to be presented to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Myanmar this week, was raised during Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario's recent visits to Brunei, Vietnam and Indonesia, department spokesman Charles Jose said. [read more]

Australia’s Sticky Plastic Money Trail

01.08.2014 (Asia Sentinel) - Reserve Bank of Australia subsidiary allegedly paid bribes in at least 21 countries. As Asia Sentinel reported on July 30, the case is also resonating in Malaysia, where the names of the current prime minister, Najib Razak, and his two predecessors, Abdullah Badawi and Mahathir Mohammad, are listed in the court order. In a third country, Vietnam, the names of top Communist Party figures are also listed. (See: Australia ‘Gags’ a Massive Banknote Scandal).

One key figure was a long-time Jakarta influence-peddler based in Singapore, Radius Kristanto. He agreed to extradition in August 2013 and has become a witness for the prosecution, through his evidence at the Melbourne committal hearing was sometimes confused.

Kristanto has also testified he negotiated in Vietnam in 2004 with Securency's local lobbyist and agent, Anh Ngoc Luong, who then claimed he was a colonel in his country's internal security agency. The current president of Vietnam, Truong Tan San, the former central bank chief Le Duc Thuy (under whom Vietnam switched to Securency’s notes), Communist Party general secretary, Nong Duc Manh, and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung are all listed in the new suppression order. The Vietnamese have given Canberra zero cooperation in the case. [read more]

Tokio oferta a Hanoi seis buques de guerra, en clave anti-china

01.08.2014 (AsiaNews) Hanoi - El gobierno japonés suministrará a Vietnam 6 buques de guerra, el equipo necesario para ponerlos en el mar y proporcionará a sus marineros la formación necesaria. Todo para "un mejor control" del Mar Meridional de China en el centro de una controversia que divide a Hanoi y Beijing por la explotación del subsuelo. Así lo anunció el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Japón, Fumio Kishida, durante una visita de Estado a Vietnam. Dado que los navíos son usados, el paquete tiene un valor total de unos 5 millones de dólares. [seguir leyendo] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam to Arm Fishery Surveillance Ships After Standoff With China

01.08.2014 Tra Mi (VOA) - Vietnam says all ships under the management of its Fisheries Surveillance Force will be equipped with weapons following a tense standoff with China over a disputed oil rig.

According to a government decree published by state media Friday, ships will be outfitted with machine guns starting September 15. Maritime force members will be equipped with handguns and machine guns while patrolling in the South China Sea. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Die Geschäfte der australischen Gelddrucker

01.08.2014 Von Willi Germund (Frankfurter Rundschau) - Dank Wikileaks erfährt die Welt von einem thrillerverdächtigen Schmiergeldskandal in Asien. Es geht um Millionen. 17 hochgestellte Persönlichkeiten in Australien, Vietnam, Malaysia und Indonesien sollen kräftig kassiert haben. Leute wie Vietnams amtierender Präsident Truong Tan San, Malaysias Regierungschef Najib Razak sowie sein indonesischer Amtskollege Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono und dessen Vorgängerin Megawati Sukarnoputri. Sie alle sollen von dem zur nationalen „Reserve Bank of Australia“ gehörenden Gelddruckerunternehmen „Note Printing Australia and Securency“ (NPAS) zwischen 2001 und 2011 bestochen worden sein, um die Vormacht der Münchener Firma Giesecke & Devrient in Asien zu brechen.

Die Welt erfährt davon nur, weil Wikileaks sich am Mittwoch über die Anordnung eines Gerichts im australischen Melbourne hinweggesetzt hat.

[Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]