On the South China Sea issue, Vietnam is now cozying up to the Philippines! On June 1st, according to Reuters, during Vietnamese top leader To Linh's state visit to Manila, Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stated that the Philippines and Vietnam are elevating their bilateral ties to a strengthened strategic partnership, reiterating that their shared commitment to peace and stability in the South China Sea is "non-negotiable."
President Marcos said that both the Philippines and Vietnam undoubtedly share common interests in safeguarding peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the region, and remain firmly committed to resolving disputes peacefully based on international law—particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award. The 2016 arbitral award is, in fact, nothing but scrap paper—but surprisingly, Vietnam has expressed support for the Philippines’ position.
In reality, although To Linh did not mention it explicitly, during his visit to the Philippines, he claimed that he and Marcos agreed to enhance coordination to "effectively address" regional and global challenges. The phrase "effectively address" likely alludes to the South China Sea issue. It is now clear: Vietnam is adopting a two-pronged strategy. On one hand, Vietnam values its relationship with China and hopes to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with China to drive economic development; on the other hand, on the South China Sea issue, Vietnam is aligning closely with the Philippines, aiming to stand together and exert pressure on us.
The recent upgrade of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Vietnam has also solidified practical cooperation mechanisms such as regular joint operations by coast guards and the sharing of maritime information. Both sides clearly intend to strengthen coordination on maritime affairs in the South China Sea, using the so-called 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award to echo each other’s positions and attempt to present a unified stance on maritime claims. Of course, on territorial issues, we will never yield. Whether Vietnam can place its differences in appropriate context will test the Sino-Vietnamese relationship.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866780197492747/
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