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Beijing seeks to boost military cooperation with Vietnam despite South China Sea dispute
- The call for closer cooperation is in stark contrast to the growing tensions with the Philippines in the disputed waters
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China has urged Vietnam to “seize the opportunity” by boosting military cooperation between the two countries.
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China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun made the appeal in a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang in Beijing on Tuesday.
Their emphasis on cooperating despite their long-running territorial dispute in the South China Sea is in stark contrast to the rising tensions between China and the Philippines in the contested waterway.
In recent years Manila, which is a close ally of the United States, has taken a more confrontational approach in contrast to Vietnam’s lower-key stance.
On Monday, Chinese and Philippine coastguard ships collided near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands, with each side blaming the other.
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On Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry also criticised the US, saying it had “no right to intervene” in the dispute after Washington condemned China’s “dangerous actions” in response to “lawful” Philippine operations.
The meeting between Dong and Giang was part of a series of high-level meetings between China and Vietnam and came two days after the country’s new leader To Lam visited Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping.
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