By Duong Tran Vietnam has an urgent need to boost its capacity of electricity generation if it wants to sustain current-level growth rates. The Vietnamese government has laid out an ambitious plan to meet future electricity demands, but making use…
By Truong-Minh Vu & Nguyen Thanh Trung Communist Party of Vietnam official Le Hong Anh recently wrapped up his two-day visit to China as a special envoy of the party chief in an effort to mend ties after the oil…
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:…
By Duong Tran & Ngoc Phan In the most recent meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), Laos agreed to consult with its neighbors on the controversial Don Sahong hydropower project, allowing it to undergo a six-month review process. While…
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…
Who is he? Mr. Pham Quang Vinh is a veteran Vietnamese diplomat and currently deputy minister responsible for ASEAN in Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has led the Vietnamese delegation to ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meetings for the past seven…
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 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…
