Glencore warns of Chinese slowdown
China called on third countries to keep out of its territorial disputes while pledging not to use force, in an apparent attempt to prevent further escalation in a disagreement with Vietnam over the South China Sea.
“We hope that countries that are not parties to the South China Sea dispute truly respect the efforts of the countries concerned to resolve their disputes through consultation,” Hong Lei, foreign ministry spokesman, said on Tuesday. He added that China would not resort to force or the threat of force.
The remarks came as Vietnam conducted a live-fire naval exercise in the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety, amid rapidly deteriorating bilateral relations. Vietnam has accused China of aggressive harassment of its oil-prospecting ships since late May, and has allowed anti-China demonstrations to take place.
At the weekend, the Vietnamese government said it would welcome efforts by the US and other nations to help resolve the territorial dispute. Two leading US senators introduced a resolution on Monday condemning China’s behaviour. Last Friday, the US state department said the US was “troubled” by the tensions. A spokesman said the US supported a collaborative diplomatic process and called on all claimants to confirm their claims to international law. China fiercely opposes any US role in settling the dispute and has insisted to settle its rivalling claims bilaterally.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnam’s prime minister, has issued a decree detailing who will be exempted from conscription in the event of war breaking out. Diplomats and analysts said the decree, which was published on the government’s website late on Monday and replaces a similar measure from 1982, seemed designed to send a message to the Vietnamese people and Beijing that the government was willing to stand up to China.
People who will be spared military service include senior government and Communist party officials, workers in key industries such as banknote printing and power generation and those who are the only son of a “martyr”. Vietnam’s leaders have come under growing pressure from their citizens, who have held rare protests for two weekends in a row, calling for a more robust response to China’s perceived aggression. “While the decree may seem routine, the timing is everything,” said one Asian diplomat. “The government understands the popular mood and it wants people to feel that it’s doing something.”
“We hope that countries that are not parties to the South China Sea dispute truly respect the efforts of the countries concerned to resolve their disputes through consultation,” Hong Lei, foreign ministry spokesman, said on Tuesday. He added that China would not resort to force or the threat of force.
The remarks came as Vietnam conducted a live-fire naval exercise in the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety, amid rapidly deteriorating bilateral relations. Vietnam has accused China of aggressive harassment of its oil-prospecting ships since late May, and has allowed anti-China demonstrations to take place.
At the weekend, the Vietnamese government said it would welcome efforts by the US and other nations to help resolve the territorial dispute. Two leading US senators introduced a resolution on Monday condemning China’s behaviour. Last Friday, the US state department said the US was “troubled” by the tensions. A spokesman said the US supported a collaborative diplomatic process and called on all claimants to confirm their claims to international law. China fiercely opposes any US role in settling the dispute and has insisted to settle its rivalling claims bilaterally.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnam’s prime minister, has issued a decree detailing who will be exempted from conscription in the event of war breaking out. Diplomats and analysts said the decree, which was published on the government’s website late on Monday and replaces a similar measure from 1982, seemed designed to send a message to the Vietnamese people and Beijing that the government was willing to stand up to China.
People who will be spared military service include senior government and Communist party officials, workers in key industries such as banknote printing and power generation and those who are the only son of a “martyr”. Vietnam’s leaders have come under growing pressure from their citizens, who have held rare protests for two weekends in a row, calling for a more robust response to China’s perceived aggression. “While the decree may seem routine, the timing is everything,” said one Asian diplomat. “The government understands the popular mood and it wants people to feel that it’s doing something.”
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