Bilateral relations may sour over the South China Sea issue: experts
Defense ministers of China and Vietnam called for stronger military cooperation and regional peace at a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday, a move that experts believe is aimed at maintaining the status quo in the short run, but may be unable to prevent bilateral ties from souring over the South China Sea issue.
Defense Minister Chang Wanquan told his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich the Chinese military is ready to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in high-level exchanges, personnel education and training, border defense, mutual visits as well as multilateral security affairs, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Chang said he hopes the two sides would properly deal with differences for regional peace and stability.
"One of the main purposes of the visit of Vietnam's defense minister is to prevent Sino-Vietnam ties from souring after the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague ruled on the South China Sea issue in July," Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times.
If Vietnam sticks to the arbitration result, China may take back islands and reefs illegally occupied by Hanoi, which will ultimately damage its interests in the South China Sea, Song said.
Ngo stressed that the two countries should enhance military cooperation and strive to make military ties a key aspect of bilateral relations to benefit the people of the two countries, Xinhua reported.
"Ngo is very pragmatic in sustaining close relations with China," Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for the South China Sea, told the Global Times, explaining that Vietnam needs China's economic and ideological support.
During Ngo's meeting with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao and Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong, Li said he hopes the two sides have a keen sense of socialist community of shared destiny and strengthen political mutual trust, Xinhua reported.
Ngo said Vietnam will continue to pursue friendship, mutual trust and all-round cooperation with China.
However, Chen stressed Ngo's past remarks on the South China Sea issue were "comparatively tough."
During the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January, Ngo, who had been the General Department's Director until he took office in April, warned that Vietnam would face several challenges and difficulties, as the situation in the South China Sea is expected to intensify, and would require much more efforts to build and defend the nation, Vietnam Tuoi Tre News reported.
Chen said it is unlikely for Ngo and Vietnam to change their stand on the South China Sea issue, adding that Hanoi may impose more pressure on China in terms of marine development.
