Dr. Do Minh Cao, from the
East Sea Research Centre, told the English language news website dtinews.vn
that China is intent on realising its ambition to illegally occupy the
“nine-dotted line” in the East Sea.
He said that Beijing may
remove its illegal oil rig from Vietnam’s continental shelf, but continue
enforcement of a restricted area in the East Sea.
Many international experts predict that China's
expansionist actions may continue towards Vietnam and other regional countries.
What are your thoughts on this?
China has already imposed
its “nine-dotted line” policy on some other regional countries. The international
community is aware, and is keeping track of China's actions in this area.
China has shown that it is
not reluctant to apply coercive methods to expand its area of control in the
East Sea. The forceful invasion of Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago in 1974 is a
prime example. Such actions have threatened regional security and breached
international law.
What do you think about the idea of creating a
coalition of regional countries with the same concerns over China's intentions
in the East Sea?
Similar ideas have been put
forth by several foreign experts. Vietnam and ASEAN countries should set up a
multilateral body to form a coherent policy to deal with China's actions in the
East Sea.
In recent days, China has been facing strong
opposition from the international community. Do you think this is enough to
dissuade China from pursuing an aggressive expansionist policy?
There has been much support
for Vietnam in the international community. The US and a number of European
countries have made official statements condemning aggressive actions by the
Chinese. Some Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia
have also requested that China stop its provocations in the East Sea. But I
don't expect such statements to achieve immediate results.
The setting up of the
Chinese oil rig in Vietnamese waters should be seen as just part of a larger
agenda by the Chinese to increase their control. The oil rig itself may not be
a long-lasting venture, but we must view it in the backdrop of their ambitions
in the area.
In your opinion, what is the limit of Vietnamese
patience in this matter?
First, let me say that
Vietnam is a peace- loving country. With that said, there are limits to what we
can peacefully endure. We have no intention of exchanging our national
sovereignty for some sort of dependent friendship. If China decides to drive us
up against the wall, we will defend ourselves.
Even though Vietnam is a
small country, we have never yielded to unjust or illegal pressures from any
country, no matter how big they are. When the country is in danger, what we
have is a national solidarity that is quite strong. We have the national
strength to protect our sovereignty.
Source: VNA/VNN
