HMM: How Vietnam may curb China’s ambitions.

Now the global situation is more complicated and the relations among global powers, namely the United States and China and Russia has worsened. It’s now approaching three years since the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued its landmark ruling in the Philippines vs. China case, resulting in a nearly unanimous victory for Manila and a call for the role of international law in settling South China Sea disputes peacefully.

“China and Vietnam have overlapping claims in the South China Sea and over the past decade or so Beijing has stepped up its pressure on Vietnam by reclaiming and militarizing islands and pressing Vietnam not to exploit oil and gas resources in areas near Vietnam’s coast but where China also has claims. Hanoi hopes that building out its diplomatic ties will prompt Beijing to be more cautious in its dealings with Vietnam,” claims Murray Hiebert, a senior associate of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.

While freedom of navigation operations has increased in the South China Sea, signaling America’s right of transit, Vietnam could be forced to show its hand if the Trump administration decides to assert itself further. This week’s somewhat muted announcement by the United Stats that it is selling unarmed surveillance drones to Vietnam, has placed China on notice.

It’s the new containment.