To help public opinion in Vietnam and China as well as in the region and the world understand well the matter, it is necessary to speak something again about it.

Twenty years ago this year when Vietnam and China officially normalized their relations after years of vicissitudes. One of the fundamental principles the two sides had agreed upon is “to close the past and look forward to the future”, to build the relationship of “friendly neighbourliness, comprehensive co-operation, long-term stability and future-oriented” so as to become “good neighbours, good brothers, good comrades, good partners”. Moreover, the two countries have in recent time agreed to build their comprehensive and strategic relationship, partnership and co-operation. These are the precious assets with so much energy being spent to build, so the Vietnamese side has tried its best to respect and protect it.


It is regrettable that some books, newspapers and on-line newspapers in China without any reason have unremittingly released their articles short of good will, distorting the matter relating to Vietnam and the Vietnam-China relations. This situation has emerged more clearly when China’s marine surveillance ship had cut the cable line of Vietnam’s Binh Minh 02 ship when it was conducting its normal seismic survey operation and Chinese fishing boats with the support of their big vessels damaged the cable line of Vietnam’s Viking II fishing vessel when it was conducting its survey in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf within its 200 nautical miles of its territorial water. These two incidents had happened in two weeks. On June 11, the Global Times of China carried an editorial distorting the essense of the matter and misrepresenting the legitimate reaction of Vietnam entitled : “Being tough with China cannot bring any benefits to Vietnam”.

It is so ridiculous when the editorial says that Vietnam “threatened” and “intimidated” China. On the contrary, it is true that Chinese vessels had “threatened” and “intimidated” Vietnamese ships and this action is defined by international law and practises as the action of provocation and hostility incitement. It is not to mention the fact that so many Chinese newspapers and on-line newspapers have circulated hostile and perverse words, hurting deeply the Vietnamese people’s self-respect and these words are sure to be strange to the Chinese people too. These words are not proper to the behaviour and treatment of the two civilized countries, let alone the two socialist countries. The editorial carried by the Global Times on June 11 is full of intimidation such as “if the war measures are taken to resolve the territory dispute, Vietnam will be defeated”. (So by the way it is necessary to repeat the 1974 incident when Chinese army attacked the Paracel, launched its border war against Vietnam in 1979 and attacked some of islands in the Spratly to help the world to see who not only liked to intimidate but also used its war measures in the Sino-Vietnam relations). The Vietnamese people had spent several decades to fight against foreign invasions, so now they are desperately wishing to have peace and stability to develop their country, so it is very unlikely that Vietnam wants to provoke hostilities with anyone, unless its independence is threatened and its sovereignty is trampled upon.

It is this perverse action of Chinese marine surveillence vessel and the editorial of the Global Times and the likes that have eroded the Vietnamese people’s feelings towards China, but not towards the Chinese people. On the other hand, the editorial has stressed time and again the relationship between the “big country” and the “small country”. Yes, in fact there is a big country and a small country, but in the international relationship, all nations are equals among equals which China has been raising hue and cry about. The behaviour on the part of China in recent days has shown clearly that it has not reflected, or to be more exact, has run counter to its respect to “small country” as the article mentioned; moreover it has also disclosed its attitude of transgression in its act as a big country – an action that has caused worries in public opinion in the region and the world, making a bad influence on the image of China, as “a peaceful emerging country for peace”.




The editorial also reasons that Vietnam’s legitimate reaction seems coming from internal pressure to encourage the spirit at home and intensify the attention of international community.... the reaction of nationalism, causing the opposition of the people of the two countries.... But the root cause of the matter lies in the pressure on the Chinese part through its vessels’ perverse action that has trampled upon international law and practice in the East Sea. Every Vietnamese is indignant; every people of good sense in the world is worried. In the relations among the countries in the modern world, it is impossible to have an act of transgression and then force their opponents to keep silent. So what China would respond if foreign vessels come and cut the cable line of Chinese seismic survey vessels when they operate normally in China’s exclusive economic zone in accordance with international law? China used to be invaded by foreign countries and the Chinese people were once insulted. So it is certain that they could understand the Vietnamese people’s indignance.

It is regrettable that in the past 20 years, a lot of energy has been spent to close the unhappy past and to rebuild the new co-operation and relations, and yet the fanatic actions of Chinese vessels have pushed back the relations of the two countries. If the editorial of the Global Times concludes: please do have a look at history. Yes, let’s have a look at the thousand-year-old history when the two countries have lived closely to each other so as to be able to act in the proper way as being the two good neighbours!

To behave in such a correct way as the two friendly neighbouring countries is the sincere wish of each of the Vietnamese people. And it is also certainly the wish of the Chinese people and the regional people as well as international community./.

                                                   (Source: Đại Đoàn Kết Newspaper)