# India to China, Vietnam: Everyone Please Stay Calm



## Vikrant (May 9, 2014)

Is China a regional bully?

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India waded into troubled diplomatic waters on Fridaythe tense standoff between China and Vietnam over a drilling rig in the South China Sea.

China has deployed an oil rig in a disputed area, and the two sides have massed ships nearby. Officials from both Vietnam and China allege its vessels have been rammed by the others.

For New Delhi, it offers an opportunity to present itself as a regional voice of reason. We would like to see resolution of the issue through peaceful means in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, said Syed Akbaruddin, spokesman for  Indias foreign ministry.

We have been following with concern recent developments, he said. We believe that maintenance of peace, stability, growth and prosperity in the region is of vital interest to the international community.

India has its own vital interests, too: It holds an oil- and gas-exploration right of its own in the very same neighborhood.

Indias state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp. is exploring a block acquired from Vietnam. It relinquished an adjacent block in 2011 after it failed to find oil or gas in the area.

China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea where the block operated by India is located, and China has warned the Indian company not to drill in the region.

While the standoff right now is between China and Vietnam, the world is watching. About 55% of Indias trade with the Asia Pacific happens through the South China Sea. The importance of the route is going to rise further, as India looks strengthen its trade ties with East and Southeast Asia and the Arctic,  said Amit Singh of the New Delhi-based National Maritime Foundation.

Mr. Akbaruddin of the Indian foreign ministry said in his statement that freedom of navigation in the sea shouldnt be impeded.

Seven countries, including China and Vietnam, have maritime and island claims in the South China Sea. In addition to being important to global trade routes, the waters are estimated to be rich in oil and natural-gas deposits, as well as abundant seafood.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday that the U.S. doesnt take a position on the relative merits of any countrys claim in the area. She called the decision by China to introduce its oil rig into the disputed waters dangerous conduct, adding that  intimidation by its vessels is concerning and certainly is representative of provocative actions.

Tension has been rising in recent days between Vietnam and China after China parked a giant oil rig in the disputed waters off Vietnam. The rig, Chinas most modern, has been deployed by a state-owned oil company off the contested Paracel Islands over Hanois objections.

Vietnams coast guard has sought to obstruct the rigs work. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official demanded on Thursday that Vietnam withdraw its ships.

India to China, Vietnam: Everyone Please Stay Calm - India Real Time - WSJ


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## Vikrant (May 12, 2014)

Chinese hegemony spells trouble for Asia.

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BEIJING: China, which is locked in a tussle with Vietnam over disputed islands and the right to mine oil in the South China Sea, said India should not get involved in it. 
"I wish to tell the Indian people that they may not worry too much about the current situation in South China Sea," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday. "The facts prove that Vietnam is trying to rope in other parties and put pressure on China, (but) will not achieve its aims," Chunying said. 
The comment is significant because Beijing had earlier objected to Indian efforts to explore oil and gas in an island claimed by both China and Vietnam. The Chinese government does not want the ONGC to revive its contract with a state-run Vietnamese oil company for joint exploration in the South China Sea region. 
Chunying said countries connected to the South China Sea should abide by an Asean brokered agreement, called the declaration on the conduct of parties, instead of quarrelling. The statement came amid tense naval activity in the South China Sea with Vietnam resisting an attempt by a Chinese oil company to set up an oil rig. The Chinese government has said the area where the rig is being established belongs to China while Vietnam claims it to be its own.

Keep out of feud with Vietnam, China tells India - The Times of India


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## Unkotare (May 13, 2014)

This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.


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## Vikrant (May 13, 2014)

Unkotare said:


> This seems to be China testing the waters (so to speak) for further aggressive moves in the future.



China is going to be a bigger headache for humanity than Germany under Hitler was. It is just that China at the moment lacks the firepower.


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## DriftingSand (May 13, 2014)

Vikrant said:


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Bring China and Russia into alliance and the world (especially the USA) could really be in some hot water.



> Beijing, May 1 (Prensa Latina) Naval forces from China and Russia will carry out joint naval military drills in the eastern sea of Shanghai in late May, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday. The maneuvers, codenamed Joint Sea-2014, are regular military drills carried out by the two countries' navies to foster bilateral practical cooperation and strengthen their capacities to counter joint security threats at sea, according to the official communiqu?. Similar military maneuvers were held in 2013 off Russia's Far East shores with the participation of seven vessels from the Chine... - See more at: China and Russia Announce Joint Naval Maneuvers | Malaysia Sun



China and Russia Announce Joint Naval Maneuvers | Malaysia Sun


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## Vikrant (May 13, 2014)

DriftingSand said:


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China and Russia are definitely moving closer to each other. China just issued a statement blaming West (and the US) for Ukrainian crisis.


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## dilloduck (May 13, 2014)

Vikrant said:


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No problem if your a good Chinaman.


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## DriftingSand (May 13, 2014)

Can anyone foresee a possible WWIII that will make all other wars look small in comparison?  Lots of tension in the world and with America's wimpy leadership embarrassingly front and center for all the world to see. Is it possible that our economic adversaries are salivating?  What might the USA do if Russia, China, Iran, and India all decided to drop the almighty Dollar for some other unit of trade?


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## Vikrant (May 13, 2014)

DriftingSand said:


> Can anyone foresee a possible WWIII that will make all other wars look small in comparison?  Lots of tension in the world and with America's wimpy leadership embarrassingly front and center for all the world to see. Is it possible that our economic adversaries are salivating?  What might the USA do if Russia, China, Iran, and India all decided to drop the almighty Dollar for some other unit of trade?



I am not sure how Iran fits into this picture but as far as India is concerned, it has been attacked by China few times. So I think it will be wise for India to keep its powder dry when dealing with China. Russia too has been back stabbed by China few times. So I do not think it is a wise thing to do for Russians to transfer advanced weapons' technology to China.


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## tinydancer (May 13, 2014)

This worries me.


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## Vikrant (May 15, 2014)

Anti China discord breaks out in Vietnam.

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Violent reaction in Vietnam to China's expansionist stance in disputed seas has turned deadly, with multiple reports of people being killed during rioting that began with attacks on foreign-owned factories.

Cambodia said hundreds of Chinese nationals had poured across the border from Vietnam to escape the riots.

"Yesterday more than 600 Chinese people from Vietnam crossed at Bavet international checkpoint into Cambodia," Kirt Chantharith, a police spokesman, told Reuters on Thursday. Bavet is on a highway stretching from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial centre, to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh.

On Thursday the death toll was unclear, although some news agencies reported at least 20 people had been killed.

A top Taiwanese diplomat said rioters had stormed a large Taiwanese steel mill in Vietnam, killing at least one Chinese worker and injuring 90 more. Huang Chih-peng said the violence took place late on Wednesday and early on Thursday at the Formosa steel mill in central Vietnam.

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Chinese nationals in Vietnam flee to Cambodia as anti-China riots turn fatal | World news | theguardian.com


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## waltky (May 16, 2014)

Hope Obama don't tick off China an' get us in another crazy Asian war...

*Violence abates in Vietnam as U.S. warns China for 'provocation'*
_WASHINGTON Fri May 16, 2014  - Anti-China violence subsided in Vietnam on Friday after the prime minister called for calm, but the United States said China's "provocative" actions in maritime disputes were dangerous and had to stop._


> Thousands of people attacked businesses and factories in Vietnam's industrial parks earlier in the week, targeting Chinese workers and Chinese-owned businesses after Beijing parked an oil rig in a part of the South China Sea claimed by Hanoi. Many Taiwanese-owned firms bore the brunt because the crowds believed they were owned by mainland Chinese.
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> The riots risk derailing a major driver of the country's economic growth - industrial parks account for more than 30 percent of Vietnam's exports and have attracted around $110 billion in foreign direct investment.  The Vietnamese government has said one person was killed in the rioting on Tuesday and Wednesday night, but a doctor at a hospital near one area of clashes said he had seen 21 dead bodies and that at least 100 people were wounded.
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## Book of Jeremiah (May 16, 2014)

So the Taiwanese people / businesses caught the fallout over this.  That figures.   Taiwan is the target China is after.  I am very concerned about the upcoming drill with Russians in South China Sea by Taiwan.  This is news that should concern everyone.


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## Unkotare (May 17, 2014)

Some folks may not realize how China's strained relations with Vietnam also tie into their historical animosity with Russia.


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## Indofred (May 17, 2014)

Vikrant said:


> Unkotare said:
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China and Vietnam at war.
I'll bet the American politicians are shitting themselves at the prospect.

Of course, it's not the potential war they're worried about but, given America lost a war to Vietnam but China is the new evil enemy, who the fuck would America support publicly?

Any politician that actively supported Vietnam, would be in deep shit and none could support china for the same reason.
I'll bet there's some serious head scratching in Washington at the moment.


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## Indofred (May 17, 2014)

DriftingSand said:


> Can anyone foresee a possible WWIII



World war one was started by a series of total fuck ups.
A regional conflict turned into all out war because the politicians were stupid.
If they've left it alone, there would have been no war and millions wouldn't have been dead.

America seems to have learned fuck all, so sticks it's fat nose into other countries' shit.


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## waltky (May 17, 2014)

Vietnam blinkin' first...

*Vietnam vows tough measures to avert anti-China unrest*
_17 May`14  - Vietnam vowed on Saturday to thwart any new outbreak of violence after deadly rioting devastated crucial manufacturing centers this week in an outpouring of rage over Chinese oil drilling in a disputed area of the South China Sea._


> Vietnam's lead police investigator defended security forces widely blamed for failing to curb the unrest and said "illegal acts" would be not be tolerated, a day ahead of expected anti-China protests in its major cities.  Hoang Kong Tu told reporters the authorities would "strongly deploy measures in line with the law" and there would be no repeat of violence seen on Tuesday and Wednesday, when mobs went on the rampage in three provinces, targeting industrial parks crucial to Vietnam's economy and exports.
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> The violence was triggered by China's positioning of a $1 billion oil rig in a part of the South China Sea claimed by Hanoi, a move described by the United States as provocative. It is the worst breakdown in ties between the two Communist neighbors since a short border war in 1979.  Crowds of thousands massed as rioters turned against Chinese workers and Chinese-owned businesses, smashing windows, gates and walls and torching vehicles and factories. Taiwanese-owned firms were hit hard after being mistaken for being Chinese.
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## Vikrant (May 17, 2014)

Indofred said:


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You have a very poor grasp of geopolitics. If you did, however, then, you would have known that there are no permanent foes or friends in the geopolitics. As I have stated to you in another thread, the Vietnam war was a mistake and it never had a broad public support in the US. As soon as the mistake was realized, the war was brought to an end. Neither people of Vietnam nor people of the US want animosity towards each other. This facilitated what we can call a friendly relations between the US and Vietnam. I am not forecasting they will have a military alliance anytime soon but friendship between the two countries will deepen. The US has already admonished China for its role in fomenting this crisis. If you think the US is happy about China bullying its allies Japan and Philippines then you are very ill informed.


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## Unkotare (May 17, 2014)

Indofred said:


> America seems to have learned fuck all...




What we've "learned" is what was known all along: Fuck YOU, you insignificant little speck. All the whimpering in the world won't make you one bit less the flaccid little nobody that you are. You should stop pissing into the wind long enough to clean yourself up. You're a mess.


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## Indofred (May 17, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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See, fuck all.


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## Unkotare (May 17, 2014)

Indofred said:


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I'm sure that's what you see when you climb up on some milk cartons and look in the mirror alright.


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## Indofred (May 17, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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You see, old chap, when I look in the mirror, or through a window, I like to look at the real world.
The mirror shows me a slightly fat chap, still with traces of his handsome past, but a bit saggy on the edges.
The mirror in my mind allows me to look at my past and present; neither are perfect but my past was pretty horrible. My personal history allows me to reflect on much in the world, even if much of my past involved evil (in various degrees).
The up to date me see things many people are unable to do so, because their view of the world and experience is so limited.
The window, both my actual surroundings and the media, allow me to see a lot.

I read as many news outlets as time allows, everything from the BBC, through various others, including Israeli, Russian and Chinese press, to American stuff, including the new York times and Fox.
Forums commonly push my attention to a given story of the day, or sometimes a historical event.

That allows me to see a wide range of view on pretty much every subject, so I make an informed judgement, true to my heart, not ideals based on what people want me to think.

I don't post on party lines, nor religious ones; rather more on my heart.
I've been accused of being a liberal and a right winger, both can't be true but the accusations are thrust my way anyway, all because I say it as I see it.

I'm assured I'm a pro Obama lib, but my last post with his name is very much anti Obama and Biden, both of whom seem to be doing dodgy deals in Ukraine at the moment.

The truth is easy; I'm not a sheep, more a thinker.
Can you say the same, really, from your heart?


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## Unkotare (May 18, 2014)

Indofred said:


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If you ever knew, you've forgotten what the real world looks like. You only see what you want to see: the twisted reflection of your impotent inferiority complex. That's a problem for you and your shrink, flaccid freddy.


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## Indofred (May 18, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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How unfair.
My position on each thread topic is decided on that story and what I believe is the truth behind it.
Many of my posts are against the Israeli government, but that's because I look at the story and take it from there.
On the odd occasion, rare they may be, I agree with something that Israel says.
Palestinian rocket attacks being a prime example; these attacks should stop without delay.
In his thread, my position is simple.
China and others should talk, shooting would be bloody pointless.
America should keep its fat mouth shut, and its fat nose out.
Interfering in a local conflict can only make things far worse, as we saw with WWI


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## Unkotare (May 18, 2014)

Indofred said:


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Your position on any and every topic is decided by one thing and one thing only: your hysterical, reflexive anti-Americanism. You're a tiny, insignificant little joke.


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## Indofred (May 18, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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I'm not anti American; I even have American friends .
More seriously, I'm not, just anti American foreign policy and anti illegal wars.
To kick your silly idea in the teeth, I've just recommended two ex students for collage places in the states.
Why would someone anti American do that?
One, a Christian girl, is pro Israel - the fanatic you see me as would hardly talk to her, much less try to assist her efforts to a bright future.

You see, I'm open to ideas and, unlike you, I don't see an attack on a political ideal as an attack on the whole.
I dislike extremism or other stupidity, the sort your inflexible mind is displaying at the moment.
What you need to do is lose the 'wrapped in the flag' mentality you have and look at what America is really up to.
You need to look at what's right on wrong, but ditch the baggage first.


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## Unkotare (May 18, 2014)

Indofred said:


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Save your bullshit, gnat. Your every post here refutes it.


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## Indofred (May 18, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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When logic fails, an insult has to do.


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## Unkotare (May 18, 2014)

Indofred said:


> I've just recommended two ex students for collage places in the states.




I hope they enjoy using many small pieces of colored material to make a picture or image.


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## Unkotare (May 18, 2014)

Indofred said:


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You wouldn't know logic if it picked you up and drove your head through the sidewalk, fool. Your record here is quite clear.


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## Indofred (May 18, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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Glad you mentioned that.
Please quote me being anti American on this board.
That's not to say anti foreign policy, anti American government, anti American wars, but actually anti American.


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## Indofred (May 18, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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What, American collage standards are that bad?
Perhaps I should suggest an English university place.


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## Unkotare (May 19, 2014)

Indofred said:


> Please quote me being anti American on this board.
> That's not to say anti foreign policy, anti American government, anti American wars, but actually anti American.






 Thanks for finding the quote yourself. There it is.


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## Unkotare (May 19, 2014)

Indofred said:


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Perhaps you should _learn_ English.


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## waltky (May 19, 2014)

What started dis ballyhoo anywho?...

*How an oil rig sparked anti-China riots in Vietnam*
_Mon May 19, 2014 ~ China evacuates thousands of nationals from Vietnam amid territorial dispute; Protests erupted after China's state oil company sent a rig to disputed territory; Vietnam says the rig site is on its continental shelf and within its Exclusive Economic Zone; China says the rig will be there until mid-August, has sent ships to guard the site_


> When China's state-owned oil company dispatched an oil rig to a contested area of the South China Sea it flicked a match on a long-smoldering dispute with its communist neighbor Vietnam.  Analysts say Beijing must have known the move would elicit some reaction, but it clearly didn't predict having to evacuate thousands of Chinese nationals desperate to put some distance between them and violent Vietnamese protests.  "The whole episode seems to reek of miscalculation, perhaps by both sides, but it demonstrates how volatile how this region can be," said Alexander Neill, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Asia (IISS).
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> At issue is the positioning of an oil rig in waters claimed by both China and Vietnam. Vietnam claims the rig's presence is "illegal" while China says it has every right to drill, and has castigated the Vietnamese government for failing to ensure the safety of its nationals.  To understand the issue, it's vital to look at the exact position of the rig.
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## Indofred (May 19, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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So, anyone who opposes American government policy is anti American.
That means all the right wing on this forum are anti American when they have issues with Obama, as all the left wing are because they tend to have a go at Bush and his illegal wars.

Not clever.


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## Indofred (May 19, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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You suggested, American collages use the above.
Sounds anti American.


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## Unkotare (May 20, 2014)

Indofred said:


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At this point, I hope you're kidding. Is English not your first language?


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## Unkotare (May 20, 2014)

Indofred said:


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_You_ are anti-American, limp little mr. nobody. Almost 5000 posts here attest to that obvious conclusion.


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## Indofred (May 20, 2014)

Unkotare said:


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Only if you're too stupid to understand them.
You see posts against American foreign policy and assume I'm anti America.
However, you shouldn't worry too much - this is common with poorly educated/indoctrinated pillocks.


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## Unkotare (May 20, 2014)

Indofred said:


> You see posts against American foreign policy and assume I'm anti America.




I see a constant stream of hysterical, emo-bitch ranting from you against anything and everything American at every opportunity and correctly conclude that you are anti-American. You're not real complicated, flaccid freddy.


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## editec (May 20, 2014)

OPh for gods sakes...note how this formerly interesting and important topic is now a pissing match?

This is why places like these (free speech mostly unmoderated) become dens for trolls.

Its ALL about them all the time.

Morons


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## Indofred (May 20, 2014)

waltky said:


> What started dis ballyhoo anywho?...
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> *How an oil rig sparked anti-China riots in Vietnam*
> _Mon May 19, 2014 ~ China evacuates thousands of nationals from Vietnam amid territorial dispute; Protests erupted after China's state oil company sent a rig to disputed territory; Vietnam says the rig site is on its continental shelf and within its Exclusive Economic Zone; China says the rig will be there until mid-August, has sent ships to guard the site_
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And there you have it, a local dispute between two countries and shit all to do with anyone else - unless you happen to have an especially nasty foreign policy, based on spending as much on armaments as you can get away with.
American politicians have used this one since WWII ended.
Wrap the conflict in the American flag, tell the gullible tax payers how it's all about defending America and off you go.
An all new, very expensive, and very dangerous cold war.


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## Unkotare (May 20, 2014)

Indofred said:


> And there you have it, a local dispute between two countries and shit all to do with anyone else -.




Only a myopic fool and/or a pathologically anti-American douchebag would fail to see the wider implications of a serious conflict in this region for many countries with direct interests in the area - such as the US - and many more even farther afield. 

Some people let their narrow agenda distort their view on any and every fucking thing.


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## Vikrant (May 20, 2014)

Indofred said:


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I think you are over simplifying the issue. This is the one situation where US needs to get more involved. China's claim is pretty immature. They are claiming any ocean or sea whose name has China in it. So they are claiming entire China Sea. It will be like India claiming entire Indian ocean as its own. 

The lack of regard for international laws among Chinese leadership is alarming. It will rightfully bring America into the conflict because America has treaty obligations towards Japan and Philippines.


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## Vikrant (May 20, 2014)

Will India China relations improve?

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Beijing: Narendra Modi being at the helm of the Indian government will help solve the complicated China-India border dispute, a Chinese newspaper opinion piece said.

"The China-India border issue was generated under the leadership of then Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru, Modi and the BJP have no historical burden over this, which may help solve the thorny issue," the Global Times article published Monday said. 

Liu Zongyi's article said that the new prime minister will boost India's infrastructure and manufacturing and there will be a myriad opportunities for Chinese enterprises. 

"As a right-winger in Indian politics, Modi is more likely to become India's 'Nixon' who will further propel the China-India relationship," it said. 

Mr Modi promised he "will try to make India self-reliant and strong" in 10 years. India needs a peaceful and stable neighbourhood to facilitate domestic economic development, the article stated.

'China-India Relations Will Improve Under Narendra Modi': Chinese Newspaper | NDTV.com


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## waltky (May 21, 2014)

Granny bettin' our boat can whup dey's boat...

*US Navy Shaping Events in South China Sea*
_May 20, 2014: WASHINGTON  The United States' top naval officer said the Navys growing presence in the Asia-Pacific region is beginning to show results and shape events, but acknowledges it will be a long-term effort._


> Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the Chief of Naval Operations, said he hopes the U.S. Navy will be able to expand cooperation with India once its new government takes its place.  Speaking Monday at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Greenert said the growing military-to-military dialogue with China is beginning to show results, especially in the South China Sea, where maritime tensions between China and its neighbors are on the rise.
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> He said China was among the Asia-Pacific powers that joined the United States last month in adopting a Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) during a meeting in Qingdao.  "They have had situations where they (Chinas navy) have intervened on our behalf, where one of our ships was being approached by a non-navy Chinese ship and being kind of harassed, and the commander of the [Chinese] warship said, Ive spoken with this guy (U.S. ship commander), hes on constant course and speed, get out of the way, and actually positioned himself [between the ships]. And, there are a few examples of this. We are starting to shape events. We have got to manage our way through this, in my opinion, through this East China Sea and South China Sea [tensions].  Were not leaving. They know that. They would be the leadership of the Chinese navy. We believe that we have to manage our way through this," said Greenert.
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See also:

*China Evacuates Thousands from Vietnam*
_May 19, 2014 ~ Thousands of Chinese workers are being evacuated from Vietnam by ship following anti-China rioting last week that left two people dead and more than 140 injured._


> China's official Xinhua news agency says two ships left the central Vietnamese port of Vung Ang on Monday carrying 900 passenger each. The report says two more ships with a capacity of 1,000 passengers will leave later Monday.    Hundreds of other Chinese nationals crossed the border into Cambodia last week.  The violence, rare in communist-run Vietnam, erupted after the state-run China energy company CNOOC towed a deep water oil rig to waters near the Paracel Islands claimed to be in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
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## waltky (Feb 26, 2016)

China Heading Toward Control of Major U.S. Trade Route...

*Pacific Commander: China Heading Toward Operational, Tactical Control of Major U.S. Trade Route*
_February 26, 2016 | If China continues to arm all of the bases they've reclaimed in the South China Sea...they will change the operational landscape in the region," Admiral Harry Harris, head of U.S. Pacific Command, told a news conference on Thursday._


> "And short of war with the United States, they can become -- they can rise to the level of having operational control, tactical control of the waterways and airways in the South China Sea, which today, involves about $5.3 trillion of trade, over a billion of which -- over a trillion of which is destined for the United States.  "There are enormous I.T. infrastructure in the...undersea cables in the South China Sea. It's a principle shipping lane, as we've discussed.  "And I think that, again, short of war with the United States, China will exercise de facto control of the South China Sea, if they are -- if they continue to outfit the bases that they've reclaimed there."
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> Harris said China, in the past few years, has reclaimed almost 3,000 acres of land from the South China Sea, turning many of the islands into military bases.  "I am of the opinion that they are militarizing the South China Sea," Harris said. "And when they add their advanced fighters to Woody Island, and when -- up in the Paracels -- and when they put their advanced missile systems on the Paracels, and when they build three 10,000-foot runways in the Spratlys on the basis that they've reclaimed -- when they do all of that, they're changing the operational landscape in the South China Sea.  "So, that is what has changed. The United States and our patrols -- military patrols, air and maritime in the South China Sea haven't really changed. We have a consistent presence in the Western Pacific, and we have had that for decades. So, I would say it's China that has changed its behavior."
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See also:

*US planning to increase operations in South China Sea*
_Thursday 25th February, 2016 | WASHINGTON The United States has said that it will increase its navigation operations in the South China Sea where China has made a huge military buildup to assert its dominance in the disputed littoral zone, claimed by many countries in the tense region._


> A senior Pentagon official, Admiral Harry Harris, who heads the Navy's Pacific Command, said that the US will make more forays in the South China Sea.  "We will be doing them more, and we'll be doing them with greater complexity in the future and ... we'll fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows," Admiral Harris told a House Armed Services Committee hearing.  "We must continue to operate in the South China Sea to demonstrate that that water space and the air above it (are) international," Harris said.
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> The admiral was asked what more could be done to deter militarization. He said the US could deploy more naval assets, although there were significant "fiscal, diplomatic and political hurdles" in the way of stationing a second aircraft carrier group in the region.  "We could consider putting another (attack) submarine out there. We could put additional destroyers forward. ... There are a lot of things we could do, short of putting a full carrier strike group in the Western Pacific."  China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year.  The US assertiveness comes a day after the Chinese national defense ministry claimed that the country's construction on the islands in the South China Sea was for civilian purposes and denied that it was aiming military takeover of the region.
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Related:

*China accuses Australia of being seduced by U.S.*
_Friday 26th February, 2016  - Australia has been accused of being "encouraged" and of being "seduced" by the United States in its attitude towards China.  Beijing has taken exception to a White Paper published by Australia which it says reflects Cold War thinking._


> China says its Pacific neighbour should be "smoothing" its economic and trade relations rather than concentrating on a dramatic build-up in arms and making remarks critical of China.  Australia on Thursday announced it was increasing the size of its defence forces to 62,000, the largest ever in peace time. The army is acquiring new long-range rocket systems and the Royal Australian Navy will double its submarine fleet from 6 to twelve.  “This White Paper is a plan to deliver a more potent, agile and engaged Australian Defence Force that is ready to respond whenever our interests are threatened or our help is needed,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Thursday.
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> Australia will spend nearly half-a-trillion dollars in the next decade, a significant upgrade. “The growth in the capability of China’s military forces is the most significant example of regional military modernisation,” the White Paper published on Thursday said.  “We can expect greater uncertainty in Australia’s strategic environment,” it added.  China, while concerned at the military build-up was particularly concerned at remarks concerning the South China Sea dispute.  "China expresses serious concern about Australia's remarks on the South China Sea in its White Paper," a spokesman for the Chinese Defence Ministry said at a press conference on Thursday.  "Australia should treasure the smooth development of the China-Australia relationship."  "The military alliance between Australia and the US should disregard cold war thinking," said the defence official.
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