International observers say that General Secretary To Lam is not like his predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong. The newspaper The Economis “bluntly” stated that the incumbent Vietnamese leader is a pragmatic politician, likes capitalism, and is a person who enjoys life.
People do not understand why after Lam’s trip to the US, Vietnam-China relations deteriorated so rapidly. That is clearly shown in Beijing’s attitude towards Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea.
Recently, Vietnam’s state-controlled media continuously reported that the Chinese Coast Guard attacked fishing boats of fishermen from Quang Ngai province, near the Hoang Sa (Paracels), injuring 10 fishermen.
Phung Ba Vuong, Chairman of Binh Chau Commune, Binh Son District, Quang Ngai Province, said:
“On September 29, fishing boat QNg-95739-TS was legally fishing in the Hoang Sa archipelago, when it was chased by a Chinese ship with the registration number 101, which approached the boat with 3 canoes, with more than 30 people armed with weapons. When they approached the fishing boat, these people boarded the boat and brutally beat the fishermen, seriously injuring 4 people, and took all the equipment on the boat and the seafood the fishermen caught.”
The incident was reported by the Vietnam News Agency, but shortly after, the news was removed without a clear reason. Meanwhile, some state-controlled newspapers, at noon on October 1, still reported interviews with the victims, but did not mention the nationality of the “strange boat.”
The Kinh Te Do Thi newspaper reported: “About 6 tons of seafood caught by fishermen were taken, and most of the equipment on the boat was destroyed. The group of aggressive strangers only left a GPS device, so the fishermen could return to shore. The total initial damage was estimated at about VND300 million.”
According to analysts, Southeast Asia is becoming a key area in the investment and diplomatic strategy of the Beijing leadership. Meanwhile, most countries in the region have a “goodwill” attitude in support of China, such as Singapore, Malaysia…, including Thailand – which is an ally of the US. But the leaders of Vietnam, the Philippines… are showing “stubbornness.” That is the reason why the Vietnamese leadership is said to be under pressure from the “tug of war” between Beijing and Washington.
In the context of Beijing deliberately creating increased tensions in the South China Sea, not only with the Philippine Navy, but also “provoking” Vietnam.
In the west of Vietnam, Beijing maintains extensive military relations with Cambodia and Laos, pushing the Hanoi leadership into a “surrounded by enemies” situation, with no way out, if a conflict occurs between Vietnam and China.
According to observers, the Chinese military’s launch of an intercontinental missile capable of reaching the United States, before the meeting between General Secretary To Lam and US President Joe Biden, on September 25, is evidence that is difficult to refute.
Not to mention the recent developments in Vietnamese politics, when the Chinese diplomatic agency “poured fuel on the fire” in the case of the Vietnam National Defense Television channel posting a video report, about an imaginary “color revolution” led by Fulbright University Vietnam.
After posting the above report for a while, the Vietnam National Defense Television channel deleted the video. However, on September 11, the Facebook account of the Chinese Consulate General in Da Nang reposted the mentioned video.
It is unclear why the Chinese Consulate General in Da Nang reposted the above “sensitive” video but perhaps, it is one of the signs showing that the Vietnam-China relationship has been deteriorating rapidly, related to Lam’s visit to the US?
Tra My – Thoibao.de
