{"id":11677,"date":"2014-05-24T03:19:11","date_gmt":"2014-05-23T19:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=11677"},"modified":"2014-05-24T00:20:54","modified_gmt":"2014-05-23T16:20:54","slug":"us-pacific-commander-warns-risk-of-miscalculation-in-china-vietnam-sea-standoff-is-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/05\/24\/us-pacific-commander-warns-risk-of-miscalculation-in-china-vietnam-sea-standoff-is-high\/","title":{"rendered":"US Pacific commander warns risk of miscalculation in China-Vietnam sea standoff is high"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"China<\/a>
China and Vietnam. ShutterStock image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA,\u00a0Philippines\u2014The U.S. military commander in the Pacific warned Friday that the risk of a miscalculation that could trigger a wider conflict in a tense territorial standoff between China and Vietnam is high and urged both nations to exercise restraint.<\/p>\n

Adm. Samuel Locklear also urged\u00a0Southeast Asian\u00a0nations and China to hasten the drafting of a legally binding \u201ccode of conduct\u201d to prevent territorial rifts from turning into armed conflicts that could threaten the region\u2019s bustling economies.<\/p>\n

Southeast Asian\u00a0diplomats have accused China of delaying the start of negotiations for such a nonaggression pact while it tries to consolidate its control of disputed territories.<\/p>\n

Locklear said he was concerned about a three-week standoff between China and Vietnam near the disputed Paracel Islands and urged them to resolve the territorial conflicts on the basis of international law.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have serious concerns,\u201d Locklear told reporters. \u201cThe risk of miscalculation, I think, is high and we encourage them both to exercise restraint.\u201d<\/p>\n

China raised the stakes earlier this month when it deployed an oil rig off in waters also claimed by Vietnam, which sent ships to try to disrupt the drilling operation. Street protests morphed into bloody anti-Chinese riots that damaged hundreds of factories.<\/p>\n

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who also attended an economic forum in Manila, told The Associated Press in written comments Thursday that \u201clike all countries, Vietnam is considering various defence options, including legal actions in accordance with the international law.\u201d But he said Vietnam would defend itself if it comes under attack.<\/p>\n

Analysts have said that countries confronted by China in disputed waters, like Vietnam, may seek a deeper security alliance with Washington.<\/p>\n

When asked by reporters about that possibility, Locklear said Washington has been forging such relationships and would welcome strategic ties with Hanoi.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to exploring opportunities to expand our partnership with the nations such as Vietnam as well, but Vietnam is among many,\u201d Locklear said.<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on East Asia, he said that the Asia-Pacific has become the most militarized region in the world, with some of the largest army and naval forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow these forces are managed to create a fabric of security that allows economic success here has not yet been determined,\u201d Locklear said.<\/p>\n

Philippine\u00a0Foreign Undersecretary Laura del Rosario said the drafting of a code of conduct has been so delayed that it could be overrun by developments in the South China Sea, where territorial spats have flared and become more complicated in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not acting fast enough and there are so many changes happening now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, bringing it into conflict with the far smaller nations of Vietnam, the\u00a0Philippines\u00a0and three others that have rival claims. Beijing also has a territorial dispute with Japan over a cluster of islands in the East China Sea.<\/p>\n

Last year, the\u00a0Philippines\u00a0filed a complaint against Beijing before an international tribunal in The Hague challenging the legality of its claims. Beijing wants one-on-one talks with each of its rival claimants, something that gives it an advantage due to its sheer size and power.<\/p>\n

U.S. efforts to pivot back to Asia after years of heavy military engagement in the Middle East were not meant to curb China\u2019s influence, Locklear said, suggesting Asian governments would treat China by its actions in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my opinion, the only person that can contain China, is China,\u201d Locklear said.<\/p>\n

Associated Press writer Oliver Teves contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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