From the Financial Times:
Vietnam has called on the US and other nations to help resolve the escalating territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea, in a move likely to anger Beijing, which opposes what it sees as outside interference.
Tensions between China and Vietnam continued to rise over the weekend, ahead of live-fire drills planned by Vietnam’s navy on Monday on an islet around 20 miles from the coast of central Vietnam, which Hanoi described as “routine”…
At issue is various territorial and economic claims in the South China Sea. Ultimately, given our overwhelming naval superiority, we should be the arbiter of who gets to use what – and we should take care to ensure that the United States profits greatly off whatever resolution is finally made (but what of the claims of others? All are ultimately nonsense…the claims are to things in the middle of the ocean…sea power, alone, can ultimately determine who gets what…if you wish to challenge America, then start building a blue water navy and get back to us in 30 years). Additionally, while the United States should have as little to do with tyrannical regimes, the fact that the Vietnamese tyranny is squaring off against the Chinese tyranny means that the decision becomes one of “what is best for us?”. In this case, curbing China’s impertinent pretensions is fully in accordance with the best American policy…and thus backing Vietnam becomes the best thing to do.
So, back Vietnam – make it a major American foreign policy effort. Whenever China’s claims conflict with Vietnam’s, we should assert the Vietnamese claim. Get the Dragon to back down and secure the good will of Vietnam – thus ensuring that if China decides to try conclusions with us, a large number of Chinese troops will have to be tied down on the Vietnamese border. China’s military continually identifies the United States as the prime enemy and various factions in China are pushing for a confrontation…now is the time to start building an anti-Chinese coalition. This dispute between Vietnam and China offers us an excellent opportunity – we should seize it with both hands.
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