Spratlys become latest flashpoint in South China Sea

A Vietnamese fishing boat is apprehended by a Chinese fishery administration ship in the waters around the disputed Paracel islands. (Photo/Xinhua)

Following the standoff between China and the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal, the Spratly islands have become the latest flashpoint in the South China Sea with Chinese fishermen being expelled by Vietnamese authorities from their fishing grounds, reports China Economic Weekly, a news service run by the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily. The move comes amid renewed assertions of sovereignty by both sides and with Beijing offering oilfields for exploration in zones already under development by Vietnam in partnership with other countries.
Ye Shaoming, a fisherman, said Vietnamese gunboats have been driving Chinese fishermen away from the waters around the Spratlys. "We never knew that we had crossed the border," said Ye, "We only knew that we were still in Chinese territorial waters." For Ye and his colleagues, the waters around the Spratlys are seen as the fishing ground left to them by their ancestors.
"The Vietnamese attacked us with water guns," said Wang Yongguo, another Chinese captain, "If we didn't leave as they told us, they may fire warning shots in the air."
"The only tactic we can use when spotting Vietnamese boats is to run," said Ye. "We never stop because we know more troubles will come if we are caught." Ye's boat and other two Chinese fishing vessels were caught by Vietnamese authorities in 2008, and they together were fined about 100,000 yuan (US$15,800).
While the China Economic Weekly piece claims Chinese fishermen have treated Vietnamese fishermen well in the past, the story from the Vietnamese side may be different. A commentary written by Lien Hoang for Asia Times Online based in Hong Kong said territorial disputes between the two sides have unified public opinion in Vietnam against Chinese aggression. Though the Vietnamese language and culture historically bear strong influence from China, the country's public generally views the conflict as more bullying from a former colonial power — Vietnam had been part of the Chinese empire in antiquity for around 1,000 years.
For both China and Vietnam, the dispute over the South China Sea is not only about fishing but also about resources, as more than 20 billion tons of oil and gas lie are believed to lie beneath the waves. Beijing has recently declared that nine oilfields in the South China Sea which contain 23-30 billion tons of high-quality oil are to opened up by state-owned oil giant China National Offshore Oil for bids from foreign investors. The areas overlap with oilfields claimed by Vietnam, which have been jointly developed for years in partnership with India, Russia and Exxon Mobile.
China last week also announced the establishment of Sansha City, an administrative region set up to oversee the three archipelagos of the Spratlys, Paracels and Macclesfield Bank. Sovereignty over all three is disputed, with other claimants to all or part also including Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
Because of the ongoing disputes, a return of the US Navy to Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay has become a distinct possibility after Leon Panetta, the US defense secretary, declared that 60% of America's naval power will be deployed to the Asia-Pacific region by 2020. Ironically, given their past conflict, relations between the United States and Vietnam have become closer to counter the growing expansion and influence of China in the region.

Source :http://www.wantchinatimes.com