Hanoi must stop muddying the waters

The latest maritime standoff between China and Vietnam has dimmed the prospects of settling the South China Sea disputes through political means. China has for long been advocating that the disputes be resolved through political means, including bilateral dialogue and consultations. Accordingly, Beijing and Hanoi's agreements on the delimitation of the Beibu Bay and cooperation in fishing activities took effect in June 2004. And in March 2005, China, Vietnam and the Philippines signed the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the Agreement Area in the South China Sea.

Apart from jeopardizing these agreements, the latest standoff has also undermined Beijing's and Hanoi's efforts to maintain stability and expand maritime cooperation in the South China Sea. For instance, China and Vietnam signed a six-point agreement in October 2011 on the basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues. In the same month, the two neighbors issued a joint statement reaffirming their political will and determination to settle maritime disputes through negotiations and friendly consultations and to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

In October 2013, the two sides signed another joint statement on further deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new period, according to which they were supposed to accelerate cooperation in a wide range of fields, including marine research and protection of marine environment. They agreed not to make any move that could complicate or escalate the disputes and vowed to continue discussions and take efficient measures to prevent the disputes from escalating and to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. The latest standoff could compromise these goals.

Despite Vietnam's accusations and attempts to portray itself as a victim, China has the legitimate right to operate its oil rig in the waters near the Xisha Islands, and Hanoi is squarely to blame for the damage caused to Chinese property and operations in Vietnam. To maintain good bilateral relations and implement the measures stated in bilateral political agreements, however, Beijing has to clarify its position through different means and should try to minimize the impact of the standoff to better defend its national maritime rights and interests.

The author is the director of the Center for China Marine Strategy Studies, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

(China Daily 05/21/2014 page9)