Of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Japan would counterbalance the strength of China in this situation. Added to the fulcrum of US strategic interest, probably a decisive situation against China.

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Last edited Mon Apr 4, 2016, 12:35 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm losing track of the amount of powder-kegs currently one spark away from disaster.

NK/SK, Russia/NATO, South China Sea, India/Pakistan..........Yikes.

~ Tom Robbins
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
(1976)

These players have a long history of Chinese bullying to find a common cause...

Really doubt that Vietnam is now sucking the US teat...


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"U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, during a visit to Vietnam on Sunday, pledged $18 million to help Hanoi buy U.S. patrol boats. But any deal with Lockheed or Boeing would likely be the most significant involving a U.S. firm since Washington started easing a long-time embargo on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam in October."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-airforce-exclusive-idUSKBN0OL04U20150605



"When China moved a $1 billion oil rig in May into waters claimed by Vietnam, the ensuing sea standoff accelerated a warming U.S.-Vietnam military relationship like few other events could have, defense analysts and diplomats told Stars and Stripes following a regional security summit this month."

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/06/19/door-may-open-to-us-at-former-vietnam-war-hub.html

Yes, I will take my country to war when given 18 million dollars to offset my risk... But I may lose billions if I lose...

The US is offering support, but it's not alone sufficient to push Vietnam into this game.

Truthfully, the US looks more like a minor player here given the stakes are in the billions..


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We aren't forcing ourselves on the region. The smaller countries are watching a superpower evolve right on their borders. One that is becoming increasingly aggressive. They are scared for their security, which is why something unthinkable 20 years ago is now happening: Hanoi warming up to Washington.

We're no longer the only super power... China is the newest member to the ranks thanks to their economic miracle. On top of it, we're also past our blush - peak in power, thanks again to Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld who oped to waste the peak in some egomaniacal splurge...

Vietnam hates China - the Philippines hate China... Japan hates China.. At best we are supporting a group of people who have self-identified their best interests... To believe the US is behind this is to believe these countries only live to serve the US.. Each of these countries is a regional power and not beholden to the US.

It's been about 2 years since the Vietnamese and Philippine governments asked Japan for military and logistical assistance against the Chinese
The US has been a bit player in the Japanese-Vietnamese alliance against China, as well as the Japanese alliance with the Philippines

People should be cheering.
This is what people have been asking for, less US presence and letting the regional players deal with these issues

The forces we have in that region currently are immense. Based B-2s, F-22s, and a Carrier l group, and 100k+ participating in Foal Eagle.

But, people in the USA want the US to have less US presence in the region (as far as actively involved)
Turning to Japan can be viewed as one step, albeit small, in that direction
To assume everything that happens in this region is about the US is kind of tiring
Japan offered to help the Philippines and Vietnam after Japan was approached by Vietnam and the Philippines to provide them with a presence against the Chinese incursion into their waters

Vietnam did not coordinate through the US first.
In fact, Hanoi did not contact the US at all before going to Japan

Russia's empire fell apart, and the bits and pieces don't want to be put back together. Russia wants them put back together, and the countries can use NATO to defend themselves. Pays to remember the history of imperialism there that stretches back to before the US declared independence, a history of annexation that continued into the 1900s when the USSR divvied up Poland with Hitler and took over the Baltics before WWII even began.

NK/SK goes back to the Cold War, with Stalin's meddling.

Same for much of the Caucasus.

China v SEA is the same problem as Russia. Former imperial power wants to retake its "proper" role in the world. Nationalism isn't just a US/European disease.

In a sense, many other problems are the result of seeking to regain lost nationalist glory.

India v Pakistan is a long-standing tussle. Muslim imperialism didn't sit well with Hindus. Diminished overlording by Muslims in India under the British and Hindu rise to power as the majority really justified the partition. Kashmir is a bit of weirdness, the exact same kind of weirdness that led to the problems in S. Thailand. Asking a local duke or whatever you want to call the local ruler which side to join, and having him go against the majority.

Much of Islamism is the same sort of thing--seeking to regain lost imperial power.

No imperialism and Russia, China, IS sabre-rattling all fade to nothing, as would US sabre-rattling. But we're often blinded by the mote in our eye and don't see the beam in the other person's.

oh the irony...

yup