Politik - Demokratie (2015/4)

Vietnam und die USA - Verankerung im transpazifischen System

30.06.2015 von Manfred Rist, Singapur (NZZ) - In den USA hat Präsident Obama grünes Licht für den beschleunigten Abschluss des transpazifischen Partnerschaftsabkommens (TPP) bekommen. Hanoi freut sich.

Der Beschluss der vietnamesischen Regierung, die Eigentumsbeschränkungen bei Unternehmen zu lockern, die an der Börse kotiert sind, könnte als wichtiger Liberalisierungsschritt in die Wirtschaftsgeschichte des südostasiatischen Landes eingehen. Noch steht aber nicht fest, welche Sektoren von der Öffnung für ausländische Investoren ausgenommen sind.

Noch wird der Reformprozess in der vietnamesischen Regierung nicht einhellig unterstützt. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief to visit White House to mark 20 years of friendship

28.06.2015 Kristine Kwok (SCMP) - Many have seen the deepening of ties between Hanoi and Washington as a result of their growing concerns over China’s ascendance to power.

The White House will receive a rare guest next month as Vietnam’s Communist party chief embarks on a highly symbolic trip to mark the 20th anniversary of resumption of diplomatic ties between the former foes.

Nguyen Phu Trong, who will be the first ever Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary to visit the United States, is expected to discuss a range of issues from security to economic cooperation with American President Barack Obama as the two countries seek to deepen strategic ties in face of China’s rise. But symbolism aside, analysts are sceptical whether the trip could accomplish anything beyond White House photos. [read more]

Taiwan on alert as tensions between China, Vietnam rise

28.06.2015 By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung (Taipei Times) - The government is on alert as tensions between China and Vietnam are again on the rise due to Beijing’s unilateral decision to resume the installation of oil rigs in the South China Sea, officials said yesterday.

Taiwanese businesses with investments in Vietnam are afraid of a repeat of the anti-China riots in May last year, officials said.

Riots broke out when China moved the Haiyang Shiyou 981 near the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) in May last year, which the Vietnamese government protested as a violation of Vietnamese territorial claims, while China said the move was legal as the islands were under its military control. [read more]

China says changing position on sea dispute would shame ancestors

27.06.2015 By Ben Blanchard (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - BEIJING (Reuters) - Changing position on China's claims over the South China Sea would shame its ancestors, while not facing up to infringements of Chinese sovereignty there would shame its children, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

China has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea, building artificial islands in areas over which the Philippines and other countries have rival claims, sparking alarm regionally and in Washington.

"China's demands of sovereignty over the Nansha Islands have not expanded and neither will they shrink. Otherwise we would not be able to face our forefathers and ancestors," the normally taciturn Wang said in unusually strong comments.

China claims most of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have overlapping claims. [read more]

China moves controversial oil rig back towards Vietnam coast

26.06.2015 (Reuters) - China has moved an oil rig at the center of last year's violent dispute with Vietnam closer to Vietnam's coast in the disputed South China Sea, just weeks ahead of the first visit by a chief of Vietnam's Communist Party to Washington.

The move, announced by China's maritime safety authorities, comes soon after the country indicated it was close to setting up new outposts in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, as it nears completion of land reclamation in the South China Sea.

China's deployment of the rig last year in what Vietnam called its exclusive economic zone and on its continental shelf, about 120 nautical miles off its coast, led to the worst breakdown in relations since a brief border war in 1979. [read more]

When Vietnam and China Bicker, Traders on the Border Feel the Bluster

25.06.2015 By Mike Ives (The New York Times) - On the Chinese side, a concrete landing area was empty.

On the Vietnamese side, more than a dozen maroon-hulled motorboats were docked, upriver from the border city of Lao Cai. Just as many container trucks were parked bumper-to-bumper along a narrow road leading to the crossing, baking in the midday sun.

The relationship between Vietnam and China, always hot and cold, hit a low point last year after China moored an oil exploration rig in waters off Vietnam’s central coast, setting off anti-Chinese protests in Vietnamese cities and riots in some industrial parks. The tension has lingered as Beijing has built islands in parts of the South China Sea that are claimed by Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations.

But a Vietnamese academic in Hanoi with close ties to the government, who requested anonymity to discuss a politically sensitive matter, said Mr. Trong’s planned trip reflected a growing consensus inside the party that a stronger relationship with the United States was in Vietnam’s national interest.

Independent Hanoi intellectuals, too, are urging the government to escape China’s economic orbit and deepen trade ties with the United States and the European Union. [read more]

Philippine fishermen petition UN for action against China's aggression in South China Sea

24.06.2015 By Aya Lowe (Channel NewsAsia) -  Philippine fishermen filed a petition to the United Nations, claiming their livelihoods have been destroyed by China's use of force in the disputed South China Sea.

ZAMBALES, Philippines: George Pasilbon used to fish for a living and made a decent earning from the rich oceans just off the shore of Calapandayan in Zambales province, north of the Philippines.

Today, however, the fisherman is nearly broke, unable to pay his electricity bills and barely able to make enough to feed his family.

Like many fishermen in the coastal towns of Masinloc and Calapandayan, Pasilbon is banned from the fishing grounds where his family has fished for generations, following a dispute between China, the Philippines and Vietnam over territory in the South China Sea.

"Everyone is afraid. Some of us experienced water cannons and some were rammed by the ships," said Pasilbon. [read more]

The Truth About 'Aggression' in the South China Sea

24.06.2015 By Nguyen Hong Thao (The Diplomat) - It’s time to put things in perspective in the South China Sea.

Satellite images showing the extent of land reclamation of China and Vietnam in South China Sea have sparked debates about who the biggest aggressor is and what the status quo is (see: “Who Is the Biggest Aggressor in the South China Sea?,” “Who Is the Biggest Aggressor in the South China Sea? (A Rejoinder),” and “The South China Sea: Defining the ‘Status Quo’“).

To be specific, concept of “aggression” is mentioned in the Resolution 3314 of United Nations General Assembly on the 14th of December, 1972. Aggression is the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations. The aggressed Nation has the right to defend itself. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Plan to Buy Chinese Trains Criticized in Vietnam

23.06.2015 Colin Nguyen (VOA) - A plan by Vietnam to buy 13 Chinese trains has come under fire amid simmering anti-China sentiment in the Southeast Asian nation.

The recent announcement to import trains worth more than $60 million for the first elevated railway project in Hanoi sparked harsh criticism in blog posts and on social media. Nguyen Quang A, former director of the Institute of Development Studies, said the opposition was understandable because of concerns over the quality of Chinese products. “Vietnamese markets are inundated with Chinese goods of very low quality," he said. "So they are suspicious of made-in-China trains.”

Nguyen Quang A and other observers have said China is trying to exert its influence and to apply pressure on Vietnam through financial assistance. [read more]

Vietnam amends unpopular social-insurance law

23.06.2015 (Bangkok Post) - HANOI — Vietnam's National Assembly has backtracked on a controversial social-insurance law that sparked massive protests earlier this year.

The lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a resolution allowing labourers to receive a one-time payment when they resigned instead of getting a monthly allowance when they retire, the government said on its website late Monday.

Last year, the Communist Party-dominated assembly passed a social-insurance law that requires labourers to wait until their retirement age -- 60 for men and 55 for women -- to get the allowance, saying the government wants the workers to have a stable life after their retirement. That law would have taken effect Jan 1. [read more]

Beijing steps up efforts to bring Hanoi on side

23.06.2015 (WantChinaTimes) - China has upped its efforts to pull Vietnam away from the United States amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, says Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news outlet.

The Vietnamese foreign minister, Pham Binh Minh, completed a three-day visit to Beijing on June 19, during which he co-chaired the eighth meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation along with Chinese state councilor Yang Jiechi.

Vietnam, which relies heavily on China for economic development, has been relatively quiet when it comes to commenting on China's actions in the South China Sea, unlike the Philippines, whose president Benigno Aquino III recently likened China's assertiveness in the region to the territorial demands of Nazi Germany in the lead-up to World War II. [read more]

China espera que su expansión marítima no obstaculice el diálogo con EEUU

23.06.2015 (Univision) - Pekín (EFE).- El Gobierno chino manifestó hoy que espera que las construcciones que está realizando en varias islas del Mar de China Meridional no obstaculicen el diálogo estratégico y económico con EEUU que tiene lugar esta semana en Washington.

"Hemos insistido a la parte estadounidense en que el Mar de China Meridional no es un problema en nuestras relaciones y no debería convertirse en uno", dijo un portavoz del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores chino, Lu Kang, en una rueda de prensa en Pekín.

El portavoz defendió las construcciones que se llevan a cabo en territorios como las islas Spratly (llamadas Nansha por China) que Pekín reclama como propios, aunque países vecinos como Filipinas y Vietnam también reivindican su soberanía. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam special forces prep for S China Sea action: media

22.06.2015 (WantChinaTimes) - To stop China's land reclamation activities in the disputed South China Sea, the Vietnamese military is preparing to attack the Chinese facilities in the region with special forces, according to Moscow-based Kommersant.

As military exercises held by the Vietnamese military since 2004 have shown, the People's Air Force of Vietnam's Su-22 tactical bomber will be used to launch the first strike against maritime targets with AS-10 air-to-surface missiles. At the same time, the Su-30 fighter is likely to provide cover for the Su-22 bombers during the strike. The bomber can attack the People's Liberation Army Navy's vessels from an attitude of 2,500 to 3,000 meters. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Philippines steps up drills with U.S., Japan forces near South China Sea

22.06.2015 By Manuel Mogato (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines - The Philippines will hold separate naval exercises with U.S. and Japanese forces this week on a Philippine island that is not far from the disputed Spratly archipelago, where China's rapid creation of seven island outposts is stoking regional tensions.

Manila, which has one of the weakest navies in Asia, has stepped up its security cooperation this year in the wake of Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea, not just with ally Washington, but also with Japan and Vietnam.

"By muddying the waters in the South China Sea, Tokyo also aims to divert increasingly intensive global attention on Japan's lack of remorse over its atrocities during World War Two," Xinhua said in an English-language commentary.

While the Philippine military trains regularly with U.S forces, it only held its first joint naval drills with Japan in May. [read more]

Who Is the Biggest Aggressor in the South China Sea? (A Rejoinder)

21.06.2015 By Carl Thayer (The Diplomat) - China’s track record in the South China Sea is markedly different from those of the other claimants.

Greg Austin recently wrote in The Diplomat that Vietnam occupied 24 features in the South China Sea in 1996 and has  “increased [this number] from 30 to 48 in the last six years” as if these figures were facts. I doubt there is any plausibility to his claim. It would be more accurate to point out that Vietnam occupied most of these features in the 1970s after reunification. Whether Vietnam has doubled the number of its features since then is highly unlikely.

In a paper just presented to the 66th Current Strategy Forum at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, I wrote, “U.S. officials also claimed that Vietnam occupied forty-eight features in the South China Sea. When Secretary of Defense Ash Carter visited Hanoi this June he called on Vietnam to permanently halt all land reclamation activities on these features. His Vietnamese counterpart, Minister of National Defense General Phung Quang Thanh, argued that “land reclamation” was being undertaken to prevent soil erosion. General Thanh also argued that Vietnam stationed military personnel on nine “floating islands” and twelve “submerged islands” or a total of 21 features.” [read more]

"Schwarzhändler, Zuhälter und US-Kollaborateure"

20.06.2015 Von Ulli Kulke (Die Welt) - Als Ende der 1970er-Jahre Hunderttausende Vietnamesen in Lebensgefahr übers Meer fliehen wollten, deklamierten Linke im Westen: Sie sind selbst schuld. Helft ihnen nicht!

Es klang unerhört. Die Amerikanerin Joan Baez, berühmt als singende Aktivistin für Menschenrechte, gegen Rassismus und vor allem gegen Krieg, bat 1979 Präsident Jimmy Carter öffentlich, die 7. Flotte der US Navy in Stellung zu bringen, im Südchinesischen Meer. Täglich waren dort Hunderte Menschen umgekommen, manchmal Tausende. Carter reagierte und schickte die größte aller Kriegsflotten dorthin, wo sie gewünscht war von jener Ikone des Pazifismus. Jane Fonda, Hollywoodgröße und Sympathisantin der Linken, fuhr daraufhin schweres Geschütz auf: Baez paktiere mit dem Gegner.

Dabei war es eine Rettungsmission, zu der Carter die Schiffe schickte, und dies auch nur für kurze Zeit. 1979 war der Höhepunkt einer beispiellosen Katastrophe auf hoher See in Fernost, die von 1975, dem Ende des Krieges in Vietnam, bis etwa 1982 andauerte. Es gibt nur ungefähre Schätzungen, doch etwa eine Million Menschen waren dort in den Jahren auf der Flucht über das Meer. [Weiterlesen]

Criminal justice in Vietnam - Compassionate communists

20.06.2015 (The Economist) - The party allows a smidgen of penal reform - ONE ordinary farmer, Nguyen Thanh Chan, is now a celebrity in Vietnam. In 2004 he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a woman in Nghia Trung, a village north-east of Hanoi, the capital. Yet he was released in 2013 after a neighbour, confronted with evidence, confessed to the crime. Earlier this month the country’s Supreme People’s Court announced that it would pay Mr Chan $360,000—many times what he would earn in a lifetime—as compensation for his nightmare.

Now the assembly is debating whether to cut the number of crimes for which the death penalty applies to 15 from 22. Stealing and disobeying military orders would no longer be capital offences.

Yet whatever the assembly decides, Vietnam’s criminal-justice system will remain deeply flawed. The criminal-procedure code permits harsh interrogation tactics, while the penal code is littered with clauses that criminalise, on grounds of national security, vaguely defined activities such as “conducting propaganda against the state”. In court, the judge is almost always a Communist Party member, while the two jurors who flank him typically have ties to the security state. Most prisoners who attempt to kick against the system are silenced. In one well-known example, Nguyen Van Ly, a Roman Catholic priest, accused the police and the court of practising the “law of the jungle”, whereupon a courtroom officer clamped a hand over his mouth. [read more]

Asia's teen dropouts head for future of unstable jobs and poverty - experts

19.06.2015 Alisa Tang (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - BANGKOK - Millions of teenagers in East and Southeast Asia are dropping out of school to do dangerous, low-skilled jobs, condemning them to a future of poverty even as economic growth in the region outstrips the rest of the world, experts said.

The World Bank has projected growth in the region at 6.7 percent this year and next - compared to around 3 percent globally. Yet experts say income inequalities in East and Southeast Asia are widening, and many poor children have no choice but to help support their families.

In Vietnam, 31 percent of teenagers were deemed to be in dangerous jobs - working 43 hours or more per week [read more]

Vietnam : plus besoin de visas pour les touristes français

19.06.2015 (Les Echos) - Le pays veut relever le nombre de touristes, en forte baisse.

Le Vietnam, soucieux de développer son industrie du tourisme, a annoncé vendredi que les ressortissants français, mais aussi allemands, britanniques, italiens et espagnols, n’auraient plus besoin de visas pour visiter ce pays d’Asie du sud-est.

Des pays comme la Norvège, la Finlande, le Danemark, la Suède, les membres de l’Association des nations de l’Asie du Sud-Est (Asean), la Russie, le Belarus, le Japon et la Corée du Sud sont déjà exemptés de visas [en savoir plus]

China und das Südchinesische Meer - Ein Sturm zieht auf

19.06.2015 von Urs Schoettli (NZZ) - Die Regierung in Peking betreibt mit voller Kraft Chinas Rückkehr zur Weltmacht. Sie expandiert aggressiv auch in der unmittelbaren Nachbarschaft – mit vorgeschobenen historischen Ansprüchen. In der «Japan Times», die wir beim Abflug in Narita erhielten, ist allerdings von einem ganz anderen, menschengemachten Sturm die Rede. Der Bericht kommentiert mit grosser Sorge die rasante Ausdehnung der chinesischen Militärpräsenz im Südchinesischen Meer. Ein Experte, den wir vom International Institute for Strategic Studies kennen, meint gar, es gehe Peking um nichts weniger, als die Mittelmeerpolitik des römischen Imperiums zu imitieren und das Südchinesische Meer zu einem «Mare nostrum», zu einem chinesischen Binnenmeer, zu machen.

China hat nicht zuletzt auch gegenüber den USA klargemacht, dass das Südchinesische Meer, durch welches Handelsrouten führen, die nicht nur für die chinesische, sondern auch für die japanische und die südkoreanische Volkswirtschaft lebenswichtig sind, unter Chinas Hoheit steht. Gar mit militärischen Drohgesten reagierte Peking, als Vietnam einem indischen Energiekonzern Bohrrechte in den Wassern der Paracel-Inseln gewährte. Die Philippinen, die vergeblich die Asean zu einer Solidaritätsbekundung in ihrem Inselstreit mit China bewegen wollten, bekamen die chinesische Wut in Form von Handels- und Tourismus-Sanktionen zu spüren. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam waives visas for more European countries in tourism push

19.06.2015 (dpa) - Hanoi - The Vietnamese government will waive visas for five more European countries, including Germany, France and Britain, in a move to boost the country's troubled tourist industry, a tourism official said Thursday.

According to the decision signed on Wednesday, Vietnam will also give visa exemptions to visiting nationals of Italy and Spain, said Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

The difficulty of getting a visa is "seriously hampering Vietnam in attracting tourists," Tuan told local media early this month. [read more]

Intellectuals and activists against the Confucius Institute, Beijing’s way to “assimilate” Vietnam

18.06.2015 By Paul N. Hung (AsiaNews) - Hanoi – Many Intellectuals and civil society leaders Vietnamese have issued a warning against China’s attempt to influence Vietnam culturally through the initiatives and activities sponsored by the Confucius Institute inaugurated on 27 December last year.

This kind of institution "is a way for Beijing to influence Vietnamese culture," said Nguyen Nha, a well-known historian who has studied China and its policies in Southeast Asia for quite some time.

In his view, Beijing’s “soft power” is “used to infiltrate another country and culture, step by step.” The growth in China’s cultural influence and power bring “no benefits to Vietnam”.

Other scholars who spoke to AsiaNews share such fears, noting that Sino-Vietnamese cooperation “tends to subordinate Vietnam to a medieval Confucian vision”. And that, they say, “is a serious error” that will lead people “to lose trust in their own government”.

The Confucius Institute was set up by China’s Education Ministry to promote Chinese language and culture abroad, serve as a platform for cultural exchange and a bridge between East and West. [read more]

Intelectuales y activistas contra el Instituto Confucio, usado por Beijing para “asimilar” a Vietnam

18.06.2015 De Paul N. Hung (AsiaNews) - Hanói - Intelectuales y miembros de la sociedad civil en Vietnam lanzan la alarma por el tentativo de injerencia de China en la vida y en la cultura del país, actuado mediante iniciativas y actividades promovidas por el Instituto Confucio inaugurado el 27 de diciembre del año pasado. Como subraya el célebre histórico Nguyen Nha, que estudió por mucho tiempo a China y sus políticas en los mares del Sudeste asiático, el instituto Confucio “es la vía usada por Beijing para influenciar la cultura vietnamita”. El docente habla de “soft power usado para invadir a un pueblo y una cultura, paso tras paso”; el crecimiento de la cultura y de la influencia china “no son de beneficio para Vietnam”.

Una visión que otros docentes y profesores confirman a AsiaNews, subrayan que la cooperación entre Beijing y hanói “para llevar la visión feudal confuciana a Vietnam, es un gravísimo error” y “hará perder la confianza de la gente” en el gobierno.

El Instituto Confucio es una institución creada por la oficina del Ministerio chino de Instrucción para la difusión de la lengua y de la cultura china. [seguir leyendo]

Statement from Civil Societies and NGO's in Vietnam and abroad re. the trial of the "Bia Son" group

17.06.2015 (VRNs) - More than three years have gone by since the arrest and trial of the "Hội đồng Công luật Công án Bia Sơn" (literally, "Bia Son Council for Public Law and Public Trial," henceforward abbreviated to "Bia Son case"), the largest political trial case in Vietnam in the last 30 years.  The trial at the Court of First Instance in Phu Yen, after more than one week sentenced on 4 February 2013 Mr. Phan Van Thu (alias Tran Cong), 68 years old, to life imprisonment, he being considered the key person in this trial; the remaining 21 persons received heavy sentences from 10 to 17 years imprisonment each.

In the face of this severe miscarriage of justicce, the undersigned independent civil societies unanimously agree to make the following statement:

1- Basing ourselves on the declarations made by the defendants in court and according to the analyses made by experts of the court charges, as well as on the testimonies of the defendants' family members regarding the matter (especially the Testimonial Letter of Mrs. Vo Thi Thanh Thuy, wife of Mr. Phan Van Thu), we can say that the "Bia Son" case is a frame up case meant to rob citizens' property under the pretext of calling a purely religious group a "reactionary political organization." [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Japón condena construcción de islas artificiales chinas en zona en disputa

17.06.2015 (abc) - TOKIO. Japón condenó el miércoles la construcción de islas artificiales chinas en zonas disputadas del mar de China Meridional, sumando su voz a las protestas de Estados Unidos.

“No podemos aceptar esta forma de actuar de política de hechos consumados”, declaró el portavoz del gobierno japonés, Yoshihide Suga, subrayando la “seria preocupación” de Japón al respecto. “Exhortamos a China a no hacer gestos unilaterales que alteren irreversiblemente el statu quo y provoquen tensiones”, añadió Suga en una rueda de prensa.

"Exhortamos a China a no hacer gestos unilaterales que alteren irreversiblemente el statu quo y provoquen tensiones", añadió Suga en una rueda de prensa. [seguir leyendo]

South China Sea – a regional security flashpoint - Part II

17.06.2015 Dulip Jayawardena (Daily Mirror) - July 2010, Hillary Clinton during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Hanoi declared, “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” and America seeks “a collaborative diplomatic process by all claimants for resolving various territorial disputes without coercion.”

The main issue related to this conflict is that China considers a mix economic and strategic value of the whole sea with its fisheries and oil and gas and has asserted its rights not legitimately as explained above of the whole area with its Nine Dash Line concept.

It is quite evident that the South China Sea is a major security flashpoint in the Southeast Asian region and in 2002 China and ASEAN countries staking claims in the South China Sea concluded the declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). It is also questionable as to why the US has focused on the disputes by littoral states in the area with China by citing “international law” when it has not signed or ratified UNCLOS.

Since the countries involved have overlapping claims over their EEZs under UNCLOS and China’s claim is not legally sound as it contravenes UNCLOS, the effective adjudicator will be the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. [read more]

South China Sea – a regional security flashpoint - Part I

16.06.2015 Dulip Jayawardena (Daily Mirror) - The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Article 122 defines a semi –enclosed sea meaning that it could be “a gulf, basin or sea surrounded by two or more states and connected to another sea or the ocean by a narrow outlet or consisting entirely or primarily of the territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of two or more coastal states.

Application of UNCLOS by member countries to the dispute may be a solution but at the same time it has contributed to competition for maritime territory and resources. UNCLOS promotes each littoral state to claim an EEZ of 320 Kms   or a continental shelf, and specifies that islands can have their EEZs and Continentals Shelf.

However the claimants should also note that what they are entitled to   be limited by UNCLOS as Article 121 (3) distinguishes between islands and rocks or reefs which are not entitled to EEZs or continental shelf, but are entitled to a 12 mile territorial sea. In certain instances islands may not be entitled to full maritime zones when   close to continental land masses [read more]

China will Landgewinnung im Südchinesischen Meer abschließen

16.06.2015 (Stern) - Peking - China will seine umstrittene Landgewinnung an den Spratly-Inseln im Südchinesischen Meer «wie geplant in den kommenden Tagen abschließen».

Danach werde China damit beginnen, die dort vorgesehenen Einrichtungen zu bauen, kündigte der Sprecher des Außenministeriums, Lu Kang, in Peking an.

Die Konstruktionen sind umstritten, da die Inseln ganz oder in Teilen nicht nur von China, sondern auch von Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, den Philippinen oder Brunei beansprucht werden.

Nach US-Angaben ist China dabei, an fünf Stellen Land zu gewinnen und Konstruktionen zu errichten, wo vorher nur Korallenriffe und Sandbänke waren. Laut US-Denkfabrik Foreign Policy Research Institut (FPRI) wurden in zwei Jahren 800 Hektar neues Land geschaffen. [Weiterlesen]

Who's who in the South China Sea dispute (video news)

16.06.2015 (news.com.Au) - The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Vietnam, The Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei [more]

Militares chinos atacan a pesqueros de Hanoi. Completada la base de Beijing en el Mar del Sur de China

16.06.2015 (AsiaNews/Agencias) - Hanoi - A pocos días de una bilateral China-Vietnam, barcos militares de Beijing han atacado con cañones de agua y robaron dos pesqueros Hanoi en Islas Paracel. Dos pescadores resultaron heridos. El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de China advierte que el trabajo en las islas en disputa "se concluirá dentro de unos días".

Buques de guerra de Beijing han vuelto a atacar a los barcos de pesca de Vietnam cerca de las islas Paracel, archipiélago disputado por ambas naciones. El 07 de junio último un barco vietnamita fue blanco de disparos de agua por barcos chinos. En los enfrentamientos, dos pescadores resultaron heridos. Bui Tan Doan, quien se fracturó una pierna, dice a la agencia Thanh Nien que el chorro de cañones de agua se prolongó durante dos horas, inundando el barco que estaba en peligro de hundimiento. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam, Chinese Boats Clash Near Disputed South China Sea Isles

15.06.2015 By John Boudreau (Bloomberg) -  Vietnamese fishing craft clashed with Chinese boats near the disputed Paracel Islands last week, underscoring simmering tensions between the two communist countries even as their leaders talk of improving relations.

Chinese vessels damaged a Vietnamese fishing boat with water cannons on June 7 and three days later a Vietnamese fishing boat was attacked and robbed of equipment and its catch, Thanh Nien newspaper reported Sunday. The clashes follow other recent incidents, with a Chinese marine police boat reportedly spraying water cannons at a Vietnamese fishing vessel in late May. [read more]

Vietnam fishermen 'attacked by Chinese boats': state media

15.06.2015 (Yahoo News) - HANOI - A Vietnamese fishing crew said they were attacked by a Chinese vessel using water cannon in disputed waters near the flashpoint Paracel Islands, Vietnam's state media reported Monday.

The wooden Vietnamese fishing boat from central Quang Ngai province was near the Paracels - known as Hoang Sa in Vietnamese -- on June 7 when it was attacked by a red-and-white painted Chinese vessel, the Lao Dong newspaper said.

"The crew signalled to the (Chinese) boat not to use water cannon as they feared their boat would sink, but they fired the water directly at them," the report said.

One of the 13-man crew was knocked over and broke his leg during the altercation, the report said, quoting the crew. [read more]

Pêcheur visé par des canons à eau chinois

14.06.2015 (20 minutes) - Un Vietnamien a été blessé lors d'une attaque d'un navire chinois en mer de Chine méridionale, endommageant son équipement, a indiqué lundi la presse officielle.

L'attaque contre un bateau de pêche de la province de Quang Ngai (centre), avec 13 membres d'équipage à bord, a eu lieu le 7 juin dans les zones des Paracels revendiqués par les deux voisins, a précisé le quotidien «Lao Dong».

«Nous avons demandé aux Chinois de ne pas utiliser des canons à eau par crainte du naufrage de notre bateau, mais ils ont tiré sur nous» a raconté l'un des pêcheurs au journal. L'un d'entre eux s'est fracturée une jambe. [en savoir plus]

Richter schlief während Verhandlung

12.06.2015 Von Björn Jahner (Der Farang) - HANOI: In Vietnam sorgte ein Videoclip in sozialen Netzwerken für große Empörung, in dem ein Richter zu sehen war, der während einer Verhandlung ein Nickerchen hielt.

Das Video zeigte Nguyen Van Gioi, Teil eines dreiköpfigen Gerichts, wie er sich während des Verfahrens zurücklehnte und für über eine Minute die Augen schloss. [Weiterlesen]

In Push for Power, China Seeks Control Over Global Trade Chokepoints

11.06.2015 By Joshua Philipp (Epoch Times) - The Chinese regime seized the world’s attention when it began throwing up man-made islands in the South China Sea in an attempt to control access to that huge body of water. What was spectacularly visible there has proceeded in a less eye-catching fashion around the world: a deliberate effort to gain control over critical trade chokepoints.

Whoever controls the world’s shipping chokepoints controls the flow of oil and close to 90 percent of global trade. In its push to become a global naval power, the Chinese regime has sought power over nearly every one of these chokepoints through a string of new naval bases and a series of economic deals.

The Chinese regime is being open about its ambitions to become a global naval power. It outlined this plan in its Chinese Military Strategy white paper released on May 26. [read more]

China escapes G-7 blame in sea row

08.06.2015 by Ko Hirano (The Japan Times) - MUNICH – The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized countries released a statement Monday expressing “strong opposition” to massive land reclamation in disputed waters in the South China Sea and called for a thorough implementation of the cease-fire in Ukraine.

The G-7 leaders said they are concerned by the situation in the East and South China seas, although they stopped short of singling out China in referring to the reclamation work. [read more]

US Considers More Surveillance in South China Sea to Combat Chinese Belligerence

08.06.2015 by Frances Martel (Breitbart) - The United States is considering an increase in surveillance and patrol flights near the South China Sea, following increased construction activity in the disputed islands by China and the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia– all having claims in the region– sounding the alarm on the Chinese land grab.

Speaking to the Associated Press, US Navy destroyer squadron commodore Capt. Fred Kacher described surveillance flights around the disputed Spratly Islands as “the new normal,” as evidence surfaces that China has been constructing airstrips, artificial islands, and lighthouses for military use in the region. The remark follows an incident in late May in which the Chinese government confronted a US military vessel in the region and threatened physical removal from the area should the vessel stay. The incident was caught on video by a CNN crew traveling with the American military. It was followed by American officials sternly warning China to stop “building sandcastles” in international waters. [read more]

Cambodian Activists Square Off With Vietnamese Soldiers in Border Row

08.06.2015 (RFA) - Around 200 activists from northeastern Cambodia’s Ratanakiri province led by opposition lawmakers confronted dozens of soldiers and villagers from Vietnam Monday in a standoff over the digging of irrigation ponds in a non-demarcated area along the border shared by the two nations.

The activists were met by around 50 Vietnamese soldiers armed with guns and patrol dogs, and Vietnamese villagers, at the edge of the so-called “white zone” of unmarked border territory in Oyadaw district, opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) lawmaker Mao Monivann told RFA’s Khmer Service.

“Vietnam violated Cambodia’s territory by digging seven [irrigation] ponds in unmarked areas,” he said. [read more]

TPP Will Help Workers In Vietnam Pursue Their Rights

08.06.2015 By Tom Malinowski (Politico) - Two months ago, workers at a shoe factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, went on strike to protest changes their government had made to the country’s social security law. The strike spread through the city’s industrial zones until around 90,000 workers had joined. What happened next is not what you’d expect in a communist country lacking respect for freedom of association and the right of workers to organize, especially since the strikers sought to change national policy rather than just to improve conditions in a local factory. The police left the strikers alone, and the government agreed to amend the offending law.

Many members of Congress are asking if it is right to include Vietnam in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, given Vietnam’s record on human rights. I understand their wariness. But having spent the past year urging Vietnam to release prisoners of conscience and reform its laws, I believe we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance these goals.

I approach this question with no illusions. Vietnam is still a one-party state, with laws that criminalize political dissent. Last month, I visited a Vietnamese Catholic priest, Father Nguyen Van Ly, in the prison where he is serving time for nothing more than advocating democracy. Three days later, police brutally beat an activist, Anh Chi, in Hanoi. I wouldn’t argue that trade with Vietnam will by itself change any of this; Congress has heard such arguments before, with respect to China, for example, and is understandably skeptical. [read more]

The only deterrent to China’s aggression: Taking a cue from Vietnam

07.06.2015 Carol Pagaduan-Araullo (BusinessWorld) - In recent months, China’s flurry of reclamation work and building of military installations on several of the islets and reefs in the disputed portions of the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea have set alarm bells ringing about China’s aggressive design to claim almost the entirety of the area as part of its national territory. The Philippines, being one of the parties to the disputes over maritime rights and territorial claims in the sea, is rightfully aggrieved.

The disputed area encompasses traditional fishing grounds not only for Filipino fisherfolk but those from several other ASEAN countries. (China has been denying their access to these fishing grounds.) The rich marine biodiversity of the sea is nature’s endowment to our peoples; it should be wisely conserved while being sustainably exploited. (Chinese fishing vessels are well known to be engaged in destructive overexploitation of the marine environment.) There is substantial, commercially valuable petrochemical and gas deposits in the underlying seabed that would be a much-needed boost to the economic development of any of the claimant nations. (China is suspected of wanting to hog these resources.) [read more]

G-7 statement ‘to cite maritime rule of law’

06.06.2015 (The Japan News/The Yomiuri Shimbun)  - The summit meeting of the Group of Seven countries to be held Sunday and Monday in Germany will express “concern” over unilateral maritime actions and state that the G-7 nations will commit to maintaining maritime order under international law, according to sources.

An outline of the statement the meeting will adopt at the conclusion of the talks says the G-7 countries will express concern about unilateral moves attempting to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, the sources said.

In descriptions about the waters involved, while avoiding naming China, the statement is expected to express opposition to moves to unilaterally change the status quo.

The G-7 statement apparently will be aimed at deterring China from such moves, according to the sources. [read more]

Taiwan coast guard launches new ships as South China Sea tensions rise

06.06.2015 By J.R. Wu (Reuters) - KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan - Taiwan's coast guard on Saturday commissioned its biggest ships for duty in the form of two 3,000-ton patrol vessels, as the island boosts defences amid concerns about China's growing footprint in the disputed South China Sea.

Taiwan's coast guard has had direct oversight of the 46-ha (114-acre) island, also known as Itu Aba, since 2000. [read more]

Vietnam's Newest Tourist Destination: The Spratlys

06.06.2015 By Franz-Stefan Gady (The Diplomat) - How Hanoi deploys tourism as a weapon in its simmering dispute with Beijing over South China Sea sovereignty.

Vietnam has joined China and the Philippines in their attempt to use tourism as a means of legitimizing control of disputed regions in the South China Sea.

Today, Reuters reported that Vietnam will offer a special “sovereignty” cruise for a selected group of patriotic citizens – “the holiday of a lifetime,” according to the international news agency, which reviewed a recently published tourist brochure on the Saigon Tourist Corporation’s website.

Prospective cruise passengers will have the chance to visit two reefs and two islands in the contested Spratlys (Truong Sa in Vietnamese), according to the document. The islands are claimed by both Hanoi and Beijing as well as other regional powers. In March 1988, the territorial conflict between China and Vietnam briefly turned bloody when Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces clashed, resulting in the death of 60 Vietnamese sailors. [read more]

China blasts Vietnam cruise in disputed waters

05.06.2015 (ABS-CBN) - Reuters - BEIJING - China said on Friday that Vietnam's offer to its citizens of a cruise to disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) islands "violates" Chinese sovereignty.

The comment came after Vietnam said it would offer scores of patriotic citizens the holiday of a lifetime with a cruise to some of Asia's most hotly contested islands.

In a special $800 promotion offer, 180 Vietnamese will get to see parts of the disputed Spratly archipelago later this month and take part in night fishing, visit a lighthouse, and enjoy local seafood.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei expressed anger at the move. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Las tropas japonesas podrán usar las bases navales y aéreas de Filipinas

05.06.2015 (Univision) - Tokio (EFE).- El presidente filipino, Benigno Aquino, dijo hoy que Manila y Tokio comenzarán a negociar un acuerdo por el cual las tropas niponas podrán emplear las bases de su país para repostar y recibir apoyo logístico, en un momento marcado por la pujanza de Pekín en el Mar del Sur de China.

Filipinas tiene ya en vigor dos pactos de este tipo con Estados Unidos y Australia.

El anuncio de Aquino se produce un día después de su reunión con Abe, en el marco de la cual ambos acordaron también iniciar negociaciones para que Japón transfiera tecnología en materia de defensa, salvamento y seguridad marítima. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam sends message to China with bid to buy fighter jets and drones

05.06.2015 Oliver Holmes and agencies (The Guardian) - Vietnam is seeking to upgrade its air defences by acquiring western fighter jets and drones, a move which would further militarise a dispute with Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Hanoi is speaking to European and US contractors to buy jets, patrol planes and unarmed drones, Reuters reported on Friday.

Several countries claim islands and surrounding waters in the South China Sea, including Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. China claims most of the area. The naval corridor is an important shipping route and the region is thought to have oil and gas reserves. [read more]

“Patriotic” cruises and joint airbases, as anti-Beijing alliance strengthens in the South China Sea

05.06.2015 Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Vietnamese government has launched a special "cruise for true patriots" taking in some of the disputed islands in the South China Sea. Without doubt, this decision will stir up the already troubled waters in the area putting further tensions on relations with Beijing.

At the special price of $ 800, later this month a group of 180 people will visit the islands that make up the archipelago of the Spratly, take part in a night time diving and fishing expedition and enjoy the delicious fish that inhabit these waters.

The  cruise should lasted about six days and includes a stop in two atolls and two other islands of the Spratly, better known in Vietnam as Truong Sa, occupied for some time by Hanoi and at the center of the dispute. [read more]

Nun rüstet auch Vietnam gegen China auf - mit amerikanischer Hilfe

05.06.2015 (Focus) - Vietnam rüstet offenbar weiter gegen China auf. Nach einem Bericht der Nachrichtenagentur "Reuters" befindet sich der Küstenstaat bereits in Gesprächen mit europäischen sowie amerikanischen Herstellern, um neue Kampfflugzeuge zu kaufen. Auch Seeaufklärer und unbewaffnete Drohnen sollen angeschafft werden.

Dabei steht das Land in Kontakt unter anderem zum schwedischen Rüstungskonzern Saab und den US-amerikanischen Firmen Lockheed Martin Corp sowie Boeing, wie nicht näher genannte Quellen gegenüber "Reuters" berichten.

Die Rüstungskonzerne hätten innerhalb der letzten Monate bereits mehrere Besuche nach Vietnam unternommen, so die Quellen. Zwar wäre es zu keinen Abschlüssen gekommen, allerdings seien die Gespräche fortgeschritten. [Weiterlesen]

Crucero "para patriotas" y bases aéreas conjuntas, se fortalece la alianza anti-Beijing en el Mar del Sur de China

05.06.2015 Manila (AsiaNews / Agencias) - El gobierno vietnamita ha puesto en marcha un "crucero para los verdaderos patriotas" especial, que prevé la circunnavegación de algunas de las islas en disputa en el Mar del Sur de China. Una decisión que ayuda a calentar las aguas ya con problemas en la zona y diseñada para apretar aún más las relaciones con Beijing. En el precio especial de 800 dólares, a finales de este mes un grupo de 180 personas, visitará las islas que componen el archipiélago de las Spratly, harán buceo y pesca en la noche, disfrutar del delicioso pescado que habitan estas aguas.

La navegación debe durado unos seis días e incluye una parada en dos atolones y otras dos islas de las Spratly, más conocido en Vietnam como Truong Sa, ocupada por algún tiempo desde Hanoi y que permanece en el centro de la controversia. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam will Kreuzfahrten zu Spratly-Inseln anbieten

03.06.2015 (WAZ) - Hanoi. Weiterhin streiten Vietnam, China, die Philippinen und Taiwan um die umstrittenen Spratly-Inseln. Nun plant Vietnam Kreuzfahrten auf die Inseln.

Im Territorialstreit mit China um Inseln im Südchinesischen Meer will Vietnam nach Medienberichten jetzt Touristen mobilisieren. Die Behörden hätten Reiseveranstalter aufgefordert, noch im Juni Kreuzfahrten zu den umstrittenen Spratly-Inseln anzubieten, zu "vernünftigen Preisen", wie die Zeitung "Tuoi Tre" am Mittwoch berichtete. Alle Zeitungen in den kommunistischen Einparteienstaat sind staatsnah.

Der Trip von Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt, dem früheren Saigon, zu den Spratly-Inseln dauert zwei Tage. Um die Inseln streiten unter anderem China, die Philippinen, Vietnam und Taiwan. Die Region gilt als rohstoffreich. Die Regierungen beschuldigen sich immer wieder gegenseitig, mit ihren Marinen vor Ort riskante Seemanöver zu provozieren. [Weiterlesen]

Philippine leader likens China to Nazi Germany

03.06.2015 (AFP) Philippine President Benigno Aquino drew a parallel Wednesday between present day China and Nazi Germany during a speech in Japan, hinting the world cannot continue to appease Beijing as it claims ever-more territory in the South China Sea.

The comments come as disquiet grows over the quickening pace of China's land reclamation programme in international waters, including its construction of a runway long enough for large military planes.

"If there was a vacuum, if the United States, which is the superpower, says 'we are not interested', perhaps there is no brake to ambitions of other countries," Aquino told an audience of business leaders in Tokyo when asked about China's rising might and the role of the US in checking it.

"I'm an amateur student of history and I'm reminded of... how Germany was testing the waters and what the response was by various other European powers," he said referring to the Nazis' territorial conquests in the months before the outbreak of World War II.

"They tested the waters and they were ready to back down if for instance in that aspect, France said (to back down).

"But unfortunately, up to the annexation of the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, the annexation of the entire country of Czechoslovakia, nobody said stop.

"If somebody said stop to (Adolf) Hitler at that point in time, or to Germany at that time, would we have avoided World War II." [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Umstrittene Inseln: Vietnam will Kreuzfahrten zu Spratly-Inseln anbieten

03.06.2015 (Spiegel Online) - Im Streit mit China um Inseln im Südchinesischen Meer will Vietnam nach Medienberichten jetzt Touristen mobilisieren. Die Behörden hätten Reiseveranstalter aufgefordert, noch im Juni Kreuzfahrten zu den umstrittenen, weit verstreuten Spratly-Inseln anzubieten, zu "vernünftigen Preisen", berichtete die Zeitung "Tuoi Tre". Alle Zeitungen in dem kommunistischen Einparteienstaat sind staatsnah.

Der Trip von Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt, dem früheren Saigon, zu den Spratly-Inseln dauert zwei Tage. Um den Archipel streiten unter anderem China, die Philippinen, Vietnam und Taiwan. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam takes delivery of two Russian-design missile corvettes as maritime tensions mount

03.06.2015 (The Japan Times) - HANOI – Vietnam took delivery of two new missile boats on Tuesday made locally and modeled on Russian vessels, the latest move by its military to strengthen maritime defenses as tensions simmer over sovereignty in the South China Sea.

The announcement was carried on the Vietnamese government’s news website and comes amid diplomatic rumblings over land reclamation work by rival claimants and U.S. concern over what it said was China’s placement of mobile artillery systems in contested territory. [read more]

Le président philippin compare à nouveau la Chine à l'Allemagne nazie

03.06.2015 (Le Monde) - « Etudiant amateur d’histoire », le président philippin, Benigno Aquino, n’est pas avare de comparaisons avec l’Allemagne nazie quand il s’agit d’évoquer la Chine. « Si quelqu’un avait dit stop à Hitler, ou à l’Allemagne, on aurait évité la seconde guerre mondiale », a argué M. Aquino — mercredi 3 juin au Japon, où il effectue une visite d’Etat — dans une allusion aux visées maritimes de Pékin dans la région.

Depuis 2012, parmi tous les pays de la région avec lesquels Pékin entretient des contentieux territoriaux, les Philippines se sont montrées les plus acerbes. Cette année-là, la Chine a commencé par envoyer des chalutiers pêcher au large des îlots de Scarborough, situés dans la zone économique exclusive des Philippines que garantit le droit de la mer sur le plan international.

Le Vietnam, la Malaisie, les Philippines et le sultanat de Brunei revendiquent la souveraineté de certaines parties stratégiques de cette mer, mais Pékin conteste tout et montre ses muscles, suscitant des préoccupations dans la région et au-delà. [en savoir plus] - [tiếng Việt]

Kampf um Einflusssphären

02.06.2015 Christoph Ricking (DW) - China schafft mit Baumaßnahmen im Südchinesischen Meer Fakten. Aber die USA signalisieren, dass sie sich aus der Region nicht zurückdrängen lassen wollen. Ein Kampf um Einflusssphären, dessen Ende nicht abzusehen ist.

Einen Schlagabtausch lieferten sich China und die USA beim Shangri-La-Dialog in Singapur am Wochenende. US-Verteidigungsminister Ashton Carter kritisierte die Regierung in Peking scharf, sie gefährde mit ihren Aktivitäten im Südchinesischen Meer die Stabilität der Region. China wies dies umgehend zurück.

Der Disput ist Jahrzehnte alt: China streitet mit den Anrainern um die Vorherrschaft im Südchinesischen Meer. China beansprucht etwa 90 Prozent des Gebietes. [Weiterlesen]

Menschenrechtslage in Vietnam auch ein Thema

02.06.2015 (Liechtensteiner Vaterland) - Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt. Die Schweiz hat nach 40 Jahren Abwesenheit wieder ein Generalkonsulat in der südvietnamesischen Metropole Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt, dem früheren Saigon. Bundesrat Didier Burkhalter eröffnete die diplomatische Vertretung.

Das Generalkonsulat ist im Bitexco Financial Tower untergebracht, dem mit 265 Metern höchsten Gebäude von

Dort traf er mit dem in Wirtschaftsfragen federführenden Vize-Regierungschef Hoang Trung Hai und mit Aussenminister Pham Binh Minh zusammen, wie das Eidg. Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten (EDA) in einem Communiqué mitteilte.

Dabei sei auch die Situation der Menschenrechte zur Sprache gekommen, namentlich die kürzlich von Vietnam ratifizierte UNO-Folterkonvention sowie die Abschaffung der Todesstrafe. Die Menschenrechtslage in Vietnam ist regelmässig Gegenstand internationaler Kritik. [Weiterlesen]

Vertiefte Handelsbeziehungen mit Vietnam: Bundesrat Didier Burkhalter eröffnet neues Generalkonsulat in Ho Chi Minh City

02.06.2015 (Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten) - Bern - Wirtschaftliche Aspekte im bilateralen Verhältnis standen im Mittelpunkt des Aufenthalts von Bundesrat Didier Burkhalter heute in Vietnam: In Ho Chi Minh City eröffnete er das Schweizer Generalkonsulat, zu dessen Aufgaben auch die Unterstützung von Schweizer Firmen in Vietnam gehört. Zuvor hatte der Vorsteher des Eidgenössischen Departements für auswärtige Angelegenheiten EDA in der Hauptstadt Hanoi den in Wirtschaftsfragen federführenden Vize-Premierminister von Vietnam, Hoang Trung Hai, und Aussenminister Pham Binh Minh zu politischen Gesprächen getroffen. Dabei ging es neben bilateralen Aspekten und Wirtschaftsthemen auch um Themen der regionalen Sicherheit.

Ein wichtiges Thema der politischen Gespräche in Hanoi war auch die regionale Sicherheit in Asien, namentlich die Situation im Südchinesischen Meer, in dem die Spannungen zunehmen.

Zur Sprache kam ausserdem die Situation der Menschenrechte – auch dies ein Element der Sicherheit und Stabilität. Die Schweiz und Vietnam führen dazu im jährlichen Rhythmus einen bilateralen Menschenrechtsdialog. Mit Aussenminister Pham Binh Minh sprach Bundesrat Burkhalter über die UNO-Konvention gegen die Folter, die Vietnam im Februar 2015 ratifiziert hat, sowie über die Abschaffung der Todesstrafe. [Weiterlesen]

Renforcement des relations commerciales avec le Vietnam: le conseiller fédéral Didier Burkhalter inaugure le nouveau consulat général à Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville

02.06.2015 (Département fédéral des affaires étrangères) - Berne - Les aspects économiques des relations bilatérales ont occupé aujourd’hui une large place, dans le cadre du séjour du conseiller fédéral Didier Burkhalter au Vietnam. En effet, il a inauguré à Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville le consulat général de Suisse, qui aura notamment pour mission de soutenir les entreprises suisses au Vietnam. Auparavant, le chef du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE) avait rencontré dans la capitale Hanoï le vice-premier ministre vietnamien chargé des questions économiques, Hoang Trung Hai, ainsi que le ministre des affaires étrangères, Pham Binh Minh, pour des entretiens politiques.

Lors des entretiens politiques à Hanoï, un autre thème important a été la sécurité régionale en Asie, notamment la situation en mer de Chine du Sud, où les tensions s’accentuent.

Il a également été question de la situation des droits de l’homme – autre élément influant sur la sécurité et la stabilité. La Suisse et le Vietnam mènent un dialogue bilatéral sur les droits de l’homme, dont les sessions ont lieu à un rythme annuel. Le conseiller fédéral Didier Burkhalter a parlé avec le ministre des affaires étrangères, Pham Binh Minh, de la Convention de l’ONU contre la torture, que le Vietnam a ratifiée en février dernier, ainsi que de l’abolition de la peine de mort. [en savoir plus]

China accused of harassing Vietnamese rescue ship, fishermen

02.06.2015 (dpa) Hanoi - Chinese vessels harassed two Vietnamese vessels in separate incidents in the South China Sea, hindering the rescue of man who suffered a heart attack and attacking a fishing boat with a water cannon, local media reported Tuesday.

The incidents come amid growing international concern over China's island-building operations in the Spratly Islands more than 600 nautical miles from China's internationally recognized borders.

Recue boat skipper Pham Xuan Son described how a Chinese navy ship in the Spratlys hindered his crew's efforts to help an ailing 47-year-old fisherman Monday, Thanh Nien newspaper reported. [read more]

Vietnam beklagt neue Zwischenfälle mit der chinesischen Marine

02.06.2015 (Nordbayerischer Kurier) - Hanoi. Im Inselstreit im Südchinesischen Meer kritisiert Vietnam das aggressive Auftreten des chinesischen Militärs. Die chinesische Marine habe versucht, ein vietnamesisches Rettungsschiff aufzuhalten, dass einem Fischer nach einem Herzinfarkt helfen wollte, berichtete die Zeitung „Thanh Nien“ am Dienstag. Im kommunistischen Vietnam sind alle Medien vom Staat gelenkt.

Die chinesische Marine habe direkt auf das Rettungsboot zugehalten und fast eine Kollision provoziert, berichtete der vietnamesische Kapitän nach diesen Angaben. [Weiterlesen]

China must immediately stop land reclamation in South China Sea

02.06.2015 (The Asahi Shimbun) - At a security summit held in Singapore, Chinese Adm. Sun Jianguo stated on May 31 that Beijing has military objectives in mind.

The admiral, who is deputy chief of staff of the People’s Liberation Army, told the annual meeting known as the Shangri-La Dialogue that the undertaking is partly aimed at meeting the country's “necessary defense needs.” He also indicated that an airstrip being built on one of the reefs will be used for both military and civilian purposes.

His remarks are totally unacceptable. The reefs in this area are claimed by several neighboring countries in territorial disputes. China’s attempt to unilaterally create a fait accompli by force clearly violates international rules. China should stop the reclamation work immediately.  [read more]

Landaufschüttungen: China weist Kritik zurück

02.06.2015 (BILD) - Singapur – China hat Kritik an seinen Landaufschüttungen im Südchinesischen Meer zurückgewiesen und die umstrittene Maßnahme als Umweltschutz deklariert.

Admiral Sun Jianguo sagte bei einer Sicherheitskonferenz, bei den Bauarbeiten gehe es nicht nur um militärische Erfordernisse. Vor allem sollten die „Funktion” der Inseln und Riffe verbessert werden. Gleiches gelte für die „Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen für das dort stationierte Personal”. Die USA hatten China zuvor erneut zu Zurückhaltung in dem Territorialstreit ermahnt. [Weiterlesen]

The Next Step Toward Possible Conflict in the South China Sea

01.06.2015 Mark Thompson (Time) - When discussing the growing conflict over China’s dredging new islands to extend its sovereignty 1,000 miles into the resource-rich South China Sea, one phrase frequently pops up from U.S. military officers past and present. “China,” they say, “doesn’t do off-ramps well.” What they mean is that once Beijing has decided on a course of action, it is rarely deterred from pursuing it. Given that—and the U.S. declaration that it will not allow China’s sand grab to stand—what’s next?

“I see no flexibility in China’s position at all,” says Cole, now a professor at the Pentagon’s National War College in Washington, D.C. “I think China’s plan is just to have a fait accompli, gambling on where the U.S. threshold for reaction is.” [read more]

Hacker War Erupts Over South China Sea Conflict

01.06.2015 By Joshua Philipp (Epoch Times) - While other nations have begun challenging the Chinese Communist Party’s claims to territory in the South China Sea, another conflict is brewing over the region—this one between hackers.

The hacker collective Anonymous started a new operation recently to oppose the Chinese regime’s land-grab in the South China Sea. They’re calling the operation “#OpStopReclamation” and they’re running it under the “#OpChina” tag on Twitter, which has previously been used to support human rights in Tibet and democracy protests in Hong Kong.

As part of the operations, Anonymous has been defacing Chinese websites. In a recent bout of attacks, they hijacked 7 Chinese government websites, 10 education websites, and 64 commercial websites. The attacks are allegedly being launched by Anonymous members in the Philippines. [read more]

US signs defence trade agreement with Vietnam

01.06.2015 Jon Grevatt, Bangkok (IHS Jane's 360) - Vietnam and the United States have signed a defence agreement, with the intention of opening a new era of defence trade and joint defence production.

The "joint vision statement on defence relations" was signed in Hanoi on 1 June by Vietnam's Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh and visiting US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. [read more]

Vietnam: Don't tie US weapons sales to human rights issues

01.06.2015 By Lolita C. Baldor (AP) -  HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Questions about human rights violations by the Vietnamese government should have no bearing on whether the U.S. should fully remove its ban on lethal weapons' sales to Hanoi, Vietnam's defense minister said Monday after meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh and Carter said the two nations are expanding their defense cooperation to include plans to conduct military operations together. The U.S. will also help Vietnam prepare to begin participating in U.N. peacekeeping missions.

Asked if the human rights issue should play a role in the U.S. military relationship with Vietnam, Carter would only say that U.S. officials routinely have "very candid" discussions on political and internal issues with Vietnamese leaders, and said those issues intersect with security matters. [read more]

El secretario de Defensa de EEUU impulsa la cooperación bilateral con Vietnam

01.06.2015 (Ultimahora) - Bangkok (EFE)- El secretario de Defensa de Estados Unidos, Ashton Carter, firmó hoy con Vietnam en Hanoi un memorando que guiará la cooperación bilateral en materia defensiva en el futuro, lo que supone un impulso a dicha relación.

Tras la firma, Carter destacó en rueda de prensa la determinación de Estados Unidos a cooperar con Vietnam en la protección de la seguridad, la paz y la prosperidad en la región, según los medios locales. [seguir leyendo]

Warum die Welt besorgt auf den Pazifik schaut

01.06.2015 (SZ) - In rasendem Tempo bebaut China im Süchinesischen Meer Inseln und Riffe aus, die auch von Nachbarländern beansprucht werden.

Beim Shangri-La-Dialog, der größten Sicherheitskonferenz Asiens, fragen sich nun alle: Was will China?

Pekings Abgesandter sucht nicht die Konfrontation mit den USA, aber er lässt Chinas Ansprüche als unverrückbar erscheinen. [Weiterlesen]

Le chef du Pentagone au Vietnam, promet une aide à Hanoï

01.06.2015 (Zaman France) Le secrétaire américain à la Défense Ashton Carter, au Vietnam dans le cadre d'une tournée dans la région Asie-Pacifique, a promis dimanche d'allouer à ce pays 18 millions de dollars pour l'aider à se doter de navires de patrouille américains

Le secrétaire américain à la Défense Ashton Carter, au Vietnam dans le cadre d'une tournée dans la région Asie-Pacifique, a promis dimanche d'allouer à ce pays 18 millions de dollars pour l'aider à se doter de navires de patrouille américains.

Ashton Carter, dont la tournée de 11 jours est consacrée en grande partie aux questions de sécurité maritime, s'est rendu au siège de la marine vietnamienne et au siège des garde-côtes, à Haïphong, avant de monter à bord d'un navire des garde-côtes qui a été pris à parti par les Chinois lors d'une escarmouche en mer de Chine méridionale. [en savoir plus]