This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now being reprinted with permission.
Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs for the United States, has traveled to Vietnam to meet with senior officials for discussions on bilateral ties and local issues, including the disputed South China Sea, where he claimed China has been engaging in reckless and “deeply disruptive” behavior.
Vladimir Putin and Russian President Vladimir Putin met with senior leaders in Vietnam just days before Kritenbrink’s attend, but Kritenbrink claimed that his trip trip had anything to do with that.
In the South China Sea, tensions are rapidly rising, particularly between China and its ally the Philippines, whose ships have been confronting one another near the Second Thomas Shoal in Spanish waterways, which China even claims.
During a fight on June 17, the Philippines claimed that the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Spanish navy ships, injuring Filipino personnel severely. China refuted China’s claim that its employees had done so freely.
” We think that China’s actions, especially its new actions, around the Second Thomas Shoal, vis- à- vis the Philippines have been careless, violent, dangerous, greatly destabilizing”, Kritenbrink told a press briefing in Hanoi on Saturday.
The assistant secretary of state said that “many of China’s activities … should be of great issue, we think, for the entire place”, according to a saving of the presentation reviewed by RFA.
Every nation in the region, including China, must adhere to international law and act properly in the sea domain, Kritenbrink said.
He reaffirmed that the United States ‘ commitments under the mutual defense treaty with the Philippines are “ironclad.”
Kritenbrink said,” We are going to continue to stand with our Filipino friends,” but he would not go into detail about any conceivable scenarios.
” Greatly worried,”
The U. S. assistant state minister met with Vietnam’s minister of foreign affairs, Bui Thanh Son, and one of his deputies, vice chancellor Ha Kim Ngoc.
The , Asian government , reported on its site that Son and Kritenbrink stressed the importance of resolving issues, including in the East Sea, Vietnam’s brand for the South China Sea, through peaceful actions, in accordance with international law.
A spokesperson for the Asian foreign ministry previously stated that the country was” carefully monitoring and seriously concerned about the incident on June 17.”
Vietnam’s President, Pham Thu Hang, urged China and the Philippines to exercise caution and conduct themselves in accordance with international law, while upholding the country’s territorial integrity and territorial integrity over the special economic zones and western racks established in accordance with the UNCLOS, or UNCLOS.
Vietnam, which has always been cautious not to irritate its great neighbor, China, was the most obvious sign of support for the Philippines from Vietnam up until now.
More than any other nation claims historical rights to more than 80 % of the South China Sea.
On Friday, Philippine officials stated that Manila has never considered invokering the 1951 Mutual Defense Agreement, which requires the United States to help it if Spanish forces, boats, and airplane come under an armed harm, including in the South China Sea.
Giving a platform
Asked about Putin’s less than 24- hour visit to Russia’s old ally Vietnam on Thursday, Kritenbrink said:” Only Vietnam can decide how best to safeguard its sovereignty and advance its interests”.
Prior to Putin’s arrival, the U.S. embassy in Hanoi stated in a statement that” no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities.”
Russia and the United States are both significant strategic partners of Vietnam.
While Russia is Vietnam’s main supplier of weapons and other military equipment, the U. S. has become its largest export market, worth US$ 97 billion in 2023, according to , official statistics.
Kritenbrink said on the , social platform X , that during his visit, he discussed with Vietnamese partners “how our nations can continue to implement the critical U. S. Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and bolster strong supply chains, high tech partnerships, educational ties, and bilateral investment”.
The senior diplomat, who served as U. S. ambassador to Vietnam from 2017 to 2021, insisted that trust between the two former enemies was at an all- time high and the U. S. Vietnam partnership “has never been stronger”.
