Why is China cheering US lifting of arms embargo on Vietnam?
Beijing outwardly praised the end of the decades-long embargo.
A crewman from the Vietnamese coastguard ship looked out at Chinese coastguard vessels in July 2014. China publicly praised President Obama's announcement on Monday that the United States is lifting of its weapons embargo on Vietnam.
Martin Petty/Reuters/File
China's听answer to听President Obama's announcement Monday that the United States will begin selling arms to Vietnam was ambiguous: It听outwardly praised the end of the embargo, even though it听is seen as a听counter to听Chinese aggression听in听the South China Sea.听听
"We certainly hope that the development of this friendly relationship can be conducive to this region's stability and development," said Hua听Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during a press briefing.听听
China's reaction is听surprising听considering its听relationship with Vietnam and its other neighbors in the South China Sea, as well as its feelings about听US tole in territorial disputes听there.听But, at least one analyst听said it exemplifies how complicated relations between the two world powers are.听听听听听
"[F]or听the moment, the Chinese foreign ministry's response was reasonable,"听Zhu听Feng, executive director of Nanjing University China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea, told The Wall Street Journal.听"We don't want to look overly sensitive or irritated, because U.S.-China relations are very complicated and very important."听听
Mr. Feng said "the lifting of the arms embargo sent听听to leaders in Beijing about a potential power shift in the region, but it was difficult to judge the real impact without seeing what other moves the U.S. planned to make," the Journal reported.听听
Tensions have increasingly grown in the听South China Sea since 2014 when听China began building islands on top of reefs听there.听"In addition to surface-to-air missiles and radar facilities, the islands are also expected to station Chinese warplanes....听The scale of the multibillion-dollar effort by China has challenged the military status quo听that has defined the Western Pacific since the end of听World War II," the Monitor's Michael Holtz previously reported.
The end of the weapons embargo听is seen by some as the US's听response to Chinese听aggression听in听the region.听Vietnam will听have听access to听US听military weapons and technology听that China has "long coveted but can't access" because of a weapons听embargo imposed on it by听the US and European Union in 1989, according to the Associated Press.听听
Obama said the lifting of the arms embargo听had nothing to do with China, but said it听and "Vietnam had mutual concerns about maritime issues and the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea," AP reports.听"While Washington doesn't take sides, [Obama]听said, it does support a diplomatic resolution based on 'international norms'听and 'not based on who's the bigger party and can throw around their weight a little bit more,'听a reference to China."
Meanwhile, Beijing's听neighbors in the South China Sea听aren't taking any chances, writes the Monitor's Peter Ford.听听
America鈥檚 friends are getting together directly, in all sorts of ways and at all sorts of levels.听
There are trilateral mechanisms, such as the high level talks that began last year among Japan, Australia, and India on topics including maritime security. Or bilateral deals, such as India鈥檚 $100 million loan to Vietnam to buy patrol boats, and Japan鈥檚 leasing of five surveillance aircraft to the Philippines, bolstering those Southeast Asian nations鈥� ability to keep an eye on waters where听China听challenges their territorial claims.听
This report contains material from the Associated Press.听
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