| “China is big but it is not really
strong. Power countries always have their weak points. If we are firm, they
will retreat. If we retreat, they will march forward. ‘Bullying the weak and
being concessive to the firm’ is always China’s policy. People called the
Binh Minh 02 incident, a test for that reason. It depends on our behavior whether
we’ll have other Binh Minh 02 cases or not,” said Major-general Le Van Cuong,
former chief of the Ministry of Public Security’s Strategy Institute; in an
interview with VietNamNet. Intentional and systematic activities
 | | The position where the cable of Vietnam’s
ship was snipped by Chinese patrol ships |
Major-general Le Van Cuong: The public has been stirred up by China’s intrusion into Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive
economic zone on May 26. Three Chinese patrol ships broke into Vietnam’s territorial waters, snipped cable of a
Vietnamese oil exploration ship, but China
slandered Vietnam to create an
incident and make tension in the East
Sea. It is clear that the
position where three Chinese ships cut cables of Vietnam’s
ship is only 120 miles from Dai Lanh Cape of Vietnam’s Phu Yen province, and up
to 500 miles from China’s Hainan Island.
This position is
deep inside Vietnam’s
exclusion economic zone and continental shelf. This area doesn’t belong to any
overlap area with China’s
exclusion economic zone and continental shelf. Under the 1982 UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Vietnam has the right of
sovereignty and jurisdiction over this area. China
and other countries have the right to go through this area but they don’t have
the right to explore natural resources and intervene in Vietnam’s exploration activities. Therefore, the
action of the three Chinese patrol ships (actually reformed military ships) is a
violation to international laws, specifically the UNCLOS, which China
is also a member. This act also
violates the UN Charters, the five principles of peaceful co-existence, which
were initiated by China, and the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the
East Sea (DOC), signed between China and the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) in 2002, as well as widely-recognized international conventions
that China has joined. Moreover, this is
an intentional action of China.
It is noted that these patrol ships were previously military ships. This is
also not a single action, but a systematical action in China’s East
Sea strategy to turn the East Sea
into its pond. This action has
exposed China’s
intention. China
has broken its commitments. Its actions are contrary to its statements. Say one thing and do another VietNamNet: Could you make clear this point? Major-general Le Van Cuong: China signed the UNCLOS and joined the DOC. The
three Chinese patrol ships’ acts were contrary to these commitments. Last October,
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao sent a telegram to his ASEAN counterparts to
commit that China
wants to create a peaceful and cooperative waters. However, China’s actions are different. It
says one thing and does another. Even the statements
made by Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Jiang Yu, also shows the
inconsistence. In the fifth meeting of the working group on the East Sea
situation between ASEAN and China
in China’s Kunming
on December 21-23, 2010, Jiang Yu stated that China
always highly respects and seriously implements its commitments to strengthen
political trust, facilitate dispute settlement and together maintain peace and
stability in the East
Sea. Meanwhile, the
three Chinese patrol ships’ intrusion of Vietnam’s territory, Jiang Yu
stated that it was “completely justified”. The statements of the Chinese
Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson are inconsistent. In the past eight
years, China always
emphasized the “peaceful development” policy but its recent intrusion in Vietnam’s sea has shown Vietnam, the region and the world
that instability is coming from this country. From its statements
to its actions, China
contradicts itself. Who in this world can trust China, an emerging power? The Binh Minh 02
case reminded us about the Philippine’s costly lesson in its agreement on the seismic
survey signed with China,
through which China has
turned the Philippines’
waters without dispute, into the waters with dispute. A month before the
Binh Minh 02 incident happened, Vietnamese experts warned this risk at the
second seminar on the East
Sea. And now it happens? The intrusion and
provoking act of China’s patrol ships into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone
and continental shelf is China’s tactic to mislead the world, and gradually
turn the waters that completely belongs to Vietnam’s right of sovereignty and
jurisdiction into the waters of dispute. This act is
compared to a malevolent man who comes to the garden of his neighbor to chop up
trees and pick up fruits and then asks for trouble to turn that garden into the
garden of conflict. Bully the weak and concessive to the firm VietNamNet: Before the Binh Minh 02 incident, Chinese
leaders made many visits to member countries of ASEAN and the US. Some question it seems that China
has “wheeled and dealed” with other countries in this matter. What is your
opinion? Major-general Le Van Cuong: We don’t exclude that China had prepared in terms of
public opinion before making the incident. It is also possible that China intentionally did it to mislead the
possibility that it has reached compromise with other countries to isolate Vietnam.
We need to keep a close watch on the situation and the subsequent moves of the
related parties to know it. Actually, other countries
make decisions based on their interests. Vietnam cannot blame them. If Vietnam
shows a clear and firm attitude to defend their interest, whether they will go
away? Moreover, Vietnam
cannot expect from the outsiders. We have to rely on ourselves. If we are firm,
they will retreat. If we retreat, they will march forward. That is the rule of
relationships. In 1956 when China attacked islands to the east of the Hoang
Sa (Paracel) Archipelago, the Southern Vietnam government didn’t strongly
strike back, and China
occupied this area. In 1958, China
attacked again, Ngo Dinh Diem administration fought back, China quietly withdrew. We need to
understand that China
is big but it is not really strong. Strong countries have their weak points.
The Binh Minh 02 incident is called “a test” for that reason. It depends on our
behavior in having other Binh Minh 02 incidents or not. VietNamNet: What should Vietnam do in this situation, in
your view? The Foreign
Ministry’s spokesperson has made necessary statements but they are not enough.
The country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity is the
supreme and immutable. All slogans and policies for any bilateral relations are
changeable, which are valid for certain times, not perpetual. Nobody has the
right to bargain their country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial
integrity. State-level competent agencies must do more. Specifically, they
have to tell the Vietnamese, Chinese people and the world what did China violate and to which level Vietnam’s
independence and sovereignty. At the same time, Vietnam needs to promote exchange and
negotiation with China
on friendly relations between the two countries. I believe that 1.3 billion
Chinese are friendly people who want to have good relations with Vietnam.
I also believe that most of Chinese leaders have goodwill with Vietnam.
This act is only the policy of some Chinese leaders who follow the expansion
policy. We need to inform
Chinese people about their government’s act. Chinese are provided with false
news about the East
Sea. We have to wake them
up and when they know the truth, I believe that they will have necessary and
sound actions. Vietnam can also and needs to inform international organizations in which it is
a member, including the UN, about China’s intrusion to call for
international support. Vietnam also needs to strengthen its armed forces and promote a sea economy to
deter anyone who intends to violate Vietnam’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity. Finally and most
importantly, we have to make social unity and people’s truth. That’s the
decisive strength to defend our country. Phuong Loan - TVN | 
