News from Vietnam is that there have been significant protests in the central coastal province of Ha Tinh against China. In this provice, Vietnamese angered by the Chinese planting of an oil rig in waters claimed by Vietnam, attacked factories and businesses run by Chinese there. At least two deaths were reported and over 100 injuries.
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This graphic shows a growing number of protests in Vietnam against the Chinese. While the graphic shows 3 such protests, the latest is that there have been incidents in over 22 provinces of Vietnam's 63. From www.straitstimes.comClick on image for full picture
While protests were at first orderly, such as this one in front of a Chinese owned factory in the Thai Binh province further north, others became violent causing property damage, injuries and deaths ... photo from www.nytimes.comYesterday, the Chinese announced that up to 3000 nationals would be evacuated from Vietnam, and have sent ships to pick them up.
Chinese nationals queuing to leave Vietnam. photo from www.newslocker.comThe oil rig in dispute
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The oil rig placed by China renews the conflicting claims of the two countries, as well as many other Southeast Asian nations resisting the broader Chinese assertion. Graphic from www.voanews.comChina was not messing around when placing its oil rig. The rig is a regular platform, and Chinese military warships or some version aggressively went after Vietnamese vessels with water cannon.
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A Chinese coast guard vessel protecting mammoth oil platform in the background. Photo from www.cctv-america.comClick on image for full picture
Chinese vessel using water cannon on Vietnamese ship with a Chinese coast guard ship in the background. Photo from APFrom here on out ...
Teatree doesn't expect the Chinese to back down anytime soon in asserting its resource claim in the South China sea. Nor does he expect a meek acceptance of the violence against its citizens in Vietnam, in spite of the quick effort to evacuate them.
And while the Vietnamese have shown themselves to be a formidable foe - certainly with the French and then the US - this confrontation with the Chinese must certainly be viewed soberly.
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Ironically, the anti-China riots did not discriminate between Taiwan national factories and those of the People's Republic of China.
In the past few days, Vietnamese authorities are assisting Taiwanese businesses to repair and pay for the disruption, no word on how the PRC enterprises are addressing the post-riot situation. (But the oil platform is certainly still in place.)
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