China Woes Vietnam: Concern For India

The Dragon is wooing the tiny Southeast Asian nation to wean it away from India.

- Prof Satish Kumar & Mrs. Kesang Wangmo Bhutia

The world politics is changing. The new American President Donald Trump has started his foreign policy with mixed packages of pinning down selected few Islamic countries. The new nationalism in US defines fresh rules for the world politics. It has jittered China as well. The emerging synergy between India and America has sent shock waves to China. At the backdrop of this monumental change, China is considering to rebalance its volatile terms with its South East countries.

A few days back, Vietnam which is major claimant of South China Sea was roped-in by China to reinitiate a friendly tie. China is willing to subsume its old dictatorial South China Sea approach with its neighbours. Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary was invited in China.

With regards to the South China dispute, Chinese President said both sides increase communication and consolidate mutual trust in order to lay a solid political foundation for settlement of disputes and work together on maritime explorations and cooperation. Two countries should continue to enhance mutual trusts, properly manage and control disputes and help push the China Vietnam all round strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.

Vietnam, besides the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, contests China’s claims over almost all of SCS. Vietnam abuts the South China Sea, and it borders China. It has the world's 14th largest population, 13th largest activent to China.

The Chinese leader has called India intervention in South China Sea as interference in the Chinese areas. The message from China was tough. China will not remain silent looking at India’s aggressive posturing in South East Asia. In fact, this is a zero sum game.