China Intends to Focus South China Sea Dispute Pressure Only on the Philippines

China checks trilateral cooperation between the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines
Vietnam walks a tightrope between China and the Philippines

China has agreed to set up a naval hotline with Vietnam, a country with territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), on the 13th (local time), Dong Jun, the Chinese Defense Minister, met with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang on the 11th in a region bordering China in northern Vietnam. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to set up a hotline between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, which is responsible for the South China Sea, and the Vietnamese Navy.

This agreement comes about three years after the naval commanders of both countries agreed to manage the risks surrounding the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Dong, appointed as the successor of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu in December last year, made his first overseas visit on this occasion. As a retired naval commander, he stated, “China is willing to work hand in hand with Vietnam to firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns and elevate the strategic mutual trust between the two militaries to a new level.” Minister Giang responded, “China has always been one of Vietnam’s top foreign policy priorities.” The two countries agreed to strengthen their exchange and cooperation system, including joint patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin adjacent to the South China Sea.

Recently, China has been involved in conflicts with the Philippines over the Second Thomas Shoal (known as Ren’ai Jiao by China; Ayungin Shoal by the Philippines). In response, on the 11th, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos held a trilateral summit in the United States, issuing a joint statement aimed at conducting joint military exercises in the South China Sea and other areas. China has strongly objected to this.

With this agreement, China is expected to prevent the spread of territorial disputes in the South China Sea with Vietnam and pressure the Philippines. Meanwhile, Vietnam is also walking a tightrope between China and the Philippines, having signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippines during President Marcos’ state visit to Vietnam in January to prevent accidents in the South China Sea and for coast guard cooperation.