China Flexes Its Muscles in Dispute With Vietnam

China and Vietnam tussle over disputed waters in the South China Sea reached a new stage when backed by a flotilla of 80 vessels China moved a large drilling rig. Vietnam deployed 35 ships to block the Chinese rig leading to ramming and use of water cannon. The actions rattled stock markets in Vietnam. “Political and economic historians said the China-Vietnam tensions signaled a hardening position by the Chinese over what they regard as their ‘core interest’ in claiming sovereignty over a vastly widened swath of coastal waters that stretch from the Philippines and Indonesia north to Japan,” report Jane Perlez and Rick Gladstone for the New York Times. “In Chinese parlance, they say, ‘core interest’ means there is no room for compromise.” The maritime disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea are eroding relationships among neighboring states that engage in substantial trade. Some nations forge closer ties with the United States to counter the Chinese pressure, but analysts agree that military action to defend rocks and islets in the two seas would harm the region. – YaleGlobal