A Chinese Navy submarine seen in April 2009. The United States voiced concern Wednesday about rising tension between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea as a senator led calls to boost US seapower faced with Beijing's growing military. (AFP/POOL/Guang Niu)From Yahoo News/AFP:
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States voiced concern Wednesday about rising tension between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea as a senator led calls to boost US seapower faced with Beijing's growing military.
Experts at a Senate hearing pointed to a string of incidents -- including standoffs this year between US and Chinese ships -- as evidence of a more assertive sea posture by Beijing.
State Department official Scot Marciel said that Beijing has told US and other foreign oil companies to halt work with Vietnamese partners in the South China Sea or face consequences inside lucrative China.
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My Comment: China is starting to put pressure on all of its neighbors. India in the South West, Vietnam in the South, Taiwan in the East, Australian business contacts within China itself ..... everyone is experiencing some form of Chinese political/economic/and now military pressure.
China is now undergoing a massive naval buildup .... a program that is on a 20 year time frame. I know that a lot can happen in 20 years, but the trends are unmistakable .... China wants a powerful blue water fleet in the future, and they are now dedicated to making it a reality.