Vietnam has an age-old and special culture that is closely attached to the history of the formation and development of the nation. Hat cheo Historians have shared a common view that Vietnam has a fairly large cultural community that was formed around the first half of the first millennium B.C. and flourished in the middle of this millennium. That was Dong Son cultural community. This culture attained a degree of development higher than that of others at that time in the region and had its own characteristics but still bore the features of Southeast Asian culture because of the common South Asian racial root (Southern Mongoloid) and the wet rice culture. Different development routes of local cultures in various areas (in the deltas of Red River, Ma River, Ca River and so on) joined together to form the Dong Son culture. … [Read more...] about Vietnam culture
Vietnam china south china sea dispute
After sea spat, China pledges deeper defense ties with Indonesia
China wants deeper military ties with Indonesia and will strengthen cooperation on bilateral and multilateral issues, China's defense minister told his Indonesian counterpart, after a recent diplomatic spat in the South China Sea. In March, Indonesia attempted to detain a Chinese trawler it accused of fishing in its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, prompting the Chinese coastguard to intervene. China has said its vessels were operating in "traditional fishing grounds". Indonesia is not embroiled in the rival claims with China over the South China Sea and has instead seen itself as an "honest broker" in disputes between China and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Meeting on the sidelines of a regional defense ministers meeting in Lao capital Vientiane, Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan said he hoped China and Indonesia would "deepen pragmatic exchanges and cooperation" and promote military ties, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. "Being two large … [Read more...] about After sea spat, China pledges deeper defense ties with Indonesia
U.S. says Europeans could help more in South China Sea dispute
In a rare admonishment of a close ally, the United States urged the European Union on Wednesday to speak out more forcefully to support Washington in its dispute with China over building and militarization of man-made outposts in the South China Sea. Amy Searight, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia, said Washington welcomed EU calls for a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in the sea and respect for international law. But there was "somewhat of a difference of approach" when it came to Washington's call for a freeze on activity by rival claimants - something China has rejected. "It would be helpful if the EU would be a little more clear in terms of backing up these principles," she told a discussion on U.S. and EU policies towards East Asia at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. "A little bit more forward-leaning approach that would support, for example, the idea of a halt to further reclamation, further … [Read more...] about U.S. says Europeans could help more in South China Sea dispute
Vietnam, China seek to repair ties ruptured by East Sea dispute
Hanoi and Beijing have pledged to try and get their bilateral ties back on an even keel after China’s placing of an oil rig in Vietnamese waters sparked off deadly anti-China riots in Vietnam a few months ago. On May 2 this year China deployed an oil rig in Vietnam’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the East Sea, the Vietnamese term for the South China Sea. It sent Sino-Vietnamese ties plunging to their lowest point in decades and triggered two months of skirmishes between coast guard and fishing vessels of both countries at sea. At the height of the tension, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, a top diplomat who outranks the foreign minister, arrived in Hanoi in mid-June to engage in talks with Vietnam's top leaders. The trip delivered little. But China withdrew the rig in mid-July. Since then the two countries have sought to patch up ties, exchanging high-ranking bilateral visits. During Yang’s second visit to Vietnam Monday, … [Read more...] about Vietnam, China seek to repair ties ruptured by East Sea dispute
China sends giant fleet to East Sea, endangering fish stocks
China has sent one of its largest fishing fleets on record to the disputed Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands, AFP quoted Chinese media on Tuesday, amid tensions over Beijing's increasingly aggressive claims over the entire East Sea. Analysts say by doing so, China is sending a message that it will continue to exploit fishing resources in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. "It is a way of asserting jurisdiction over the area," said Mark Valencia, a Hawaii-based expert on the dispute. A flotilla including 30 fishing vessels and two large transport and supply ships left China's southern province of Hainan Monday for a 40-day trip to the Spratlys, AFP quoted a China Daily report as saying. Chinese fishing boats regularly travel to the Spratlys an archipelago claimed in whole or in part by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei but the fleet dispatched Monday matches China's biggest ever infiltration of the Spratlys. China will make "every … [Read more...] about China sends giant fleet to East Sea, endangering fish stocks