By Nguyen Manh Hung China’s placement of an oil rig inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in May 2014 was a wake up call for the Vietnamese leadership. It took place at a time when Hanoi was filled with speculation about…
Competition over resources is one of the primary drivers of tension between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea. This infographic, prepared by the Sumitro Chair at CSIS, provides data on one key flashpoint between China and Vietnam:…
Despite China’s place as the world’s second largest economy and one of the most rapidly growing in the world, the Chinese government still classifies itself as a developing country. Being known as a “developing country” serves to China’s advantage, as…
By Carl Thayer I would like to flesh out David Brown’s proposal by offering the following: the prime aim of United States maritime strategy in the South China Sea should be to create circumstances where China would have to accept…
By David Brown True to an annual rhythm enforced by the typhoon season, China last month pulled its deep-sea drilling rig from Vietnam’s claimed exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Analysts immediately began debating who “won” or “lost,” but in truth, the…
By Robert A. Pollard The energy boom in the United States has ignited high expectations in this country, from an industrial renaissance to energy self-sufficiency. Yet it has brought fewer benefits to China and Europe, and if anything, exposed their…
By Thomas Jandl China’s peaceful rise is over. Beijing’s recent aggressive behavior in the oceans to its south and east give the lie to the previously cultivated narrative. China’s claims to vast stretches of open water are not grounded in…
By Haibin Niu & Nicole White President Xi Jinping’s recently concluded trip to Latin America signals a new wave of China’s multilateral diplomacy. Building on previous leaders’ regional initiatives such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Forum on…
By Deep Pal China’s decision to pull out deep water rig HYSY 981 from Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone last week was as sudden as the decision to deploy it near the Paracel Islands in the first place. The owner…
By Jonathan London & Vu Quang Viet The chaos and violence that erupted in Vietnam in early May diverted the world’s attention from the fundamental causes of tensions between China and Vietnam and, indeed, China and the region. These stem…