12-9-2023 (HANOI) The United States and Vietnam issued a joint warning on Monday against the “threat or use of force” in the contentious South China Sea, following a recent clash involving Chinese vessels. President Joe Biden and Vietnam’s Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong emphasised the need to resolve competing claims in this vital maritime region through international legal norms.
Beijing asserts nearly total sovereignty over the South China Sea, a critical waterway facilitating trillions of dollars in annual trade, and has consistently disregarded an international court ruling that invalidated its territorial claims.
In a collaborative statement, Biden and Trong expressed their unwavering support for peaceful dispute resolution in accordance with international law, explicitly rejecting the use of force or threats. They also advocated for the preservation of “freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea.”
This statement follows a recent agreement between Biden and Trong to enhance cooperation, seen as a response to China’s escalating assertiveness in the region. The United States is engaged in multiple disputes with Beijing, spanning trade, security, human rights, and climate change, while simultaneously seeking to expand its alliance network to counter Chinese influence.
Vietnam, which endured a conflict with China from 1979 to 1988, maintains a cautious stance towards its more substantial northern neighbour. It is among the select group of nations asserting claims over the numerous islets and outcrops scattered across the South China Sea.
In a separate incident last week, the Philippines accused Chinese Coast Guard and “militia” vessels of harassing two of its coast guard ships while they were delivering supplies to Filipino troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippine Navy intentionally grounded an ageing ship on the shoal in 1999 to obstruct China’s encroachment in the area.
China deploys a substantial fleet of vessels to patrol the South China Sea and assert control over various reefs and territories. The Philippines, a longstanding US ally, maintains outposts on nine reefs and islands within the Spratly Islands, which Vietnam also claims, alongside the Paracel Islands.
Manila alleges that Chinese coast guard and naval vessels frequently obstruct or trail Philippine boats in these disputed waters. Tensions escalated last month when China Coast Guard vessels employed water cannons against a Philippine resupply mission to the reef, preventing one of the boats from delivering its cargo.
