By Rashi Jain-
The United States and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding , which extends support of the United States to Vietnamese fishermen against illegal intimidation of them at the South China Sea. The MoU came one week after the United States through their statements affirmed its stand by supporting nations including Vietnam which are in a dispute against China over the South China Sea.
“We see what they have done, they have lied about what they are doing in the South China Sea. They promised during the previous administration they wouldn’t militarize the South China sea, they broke their promise, their promise. And as on Monday, we have announced a change in U.S. policy with respect to legal recognition of the boundaries and control inside the SCS to – frankly, to support Vietnamese, the Malaysians, the Indonesians, the Philippines.” – Micheal R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
The MoU aims to Strengthen Vietnam’s fisheries management and its law enforcement capabilities and surveillance systems by providing technical assistance and sharing information and will also cooperate to combat illegal fishing and intimidation–
“We look forward to working together with Vietnam to strengthen the sustainability of its fisheries and support its fisheries against illegal intimidation” – The United States Ambassador to Vietnam, Daniel J Kritenbrink, at the signing ceremony at Hanoi.
Vietnam is one of the four countries claiming its sovereignty and right over rich resources of south china sea against Beijing. China claims almost 90% of the area of the South China Sea’s waterway based on its nine-dash line map. The dispute over the SCS is not new but is been going on now since forever.
The US believes that the claim of Beijing’s over the SCS are unlawful and since the whole world is busy dealing with global pandemic COVID-19, China is using this as an opportunity by using various provocative action in the waters.
In April, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel rammed and sunk a boat which was fishing off at woody islands in the Parcels and again in June, another Chinese Coast Guard vessel and a speedboat chased, vandalized and rammed the Vietnamese fishing boat near Lincoln Island in the Parcel. Subsequently Vietnamese and Philippines fishing authorities and communities protested against China’s unilateral ban on fishing in the South China Sea. China instituted the ban in 1999, claiming, it would help sustain fishing and other aquatic resources in one of the world’s biggest fishing waterways.
On July 1-5, The Maritime Safety Administration of China conducted military exercises near Paracel Island, which triggered Vietnam to sent a diplomatic note to protest the illegal exercises, urging non-repetition of the incident blaming that the exercises violated Vietnam’s sovereignty.