Vietnam Holds Live-Fire Exercises as Territorial Dispute with China Escalates
June 14th, 2011Via: Guardian:
China has warned other countries not to become involved in an escalating sea border dispute with Vietnam that reflects concern over Beijing’s increasing international power and confidence.
Experts say the stand-off between China and Vietnam – two of the six powers laying claim to a number of islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea – is the worst for more than two decades. Vietnam held live-fire exercises off its coast on Monday, in what analysts said was a response without precedent.
The complex dispute over sovereignty in the 1.2m square miles of sea has been simmering for decades, but has grown increasingly fractious in the past few years. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also lay claim to parts of the sea.
As much as a third of the world’s trade passes through the Malacca Strait. Countries are also competing to tap the sea’s energy resources and exploit its fish stocks.
