South China Sea: Vietnamese navy frigate visits China amid flurry of drills in waterway
The visit aimed to “improve mutual understanding and trust between Chinese and Vietnamese navies and to further strengthen friendship between the two”, the command said in a statement.
The visit by the Vietnamese navy ship to China comes amid increased military activities in the disputed South China Sea.
Vietnam’s port call to China has also occurred amid reports of two recent incidents in which the Chinese military sent drones close to Vietnam’s coastline and exclusive economic zone before returning to Hainan.
Despite a long-standing history of tension and maritime disputes in the South China Sea between China and Vietnam, the two countries have made efforts in recent years – including to improve communication, coordination and joint activities – to enhance their naval and coastguard cooperation to improve trust between the two militaries.
In late June, the Chinese and Vietnamese navies concluded a two-day joint patrol exercise in the Gulf of Tonkin in the northwestern portion of the South China Sea between Vietnam and China. Each country contributed two vessels to take part in the coordinated activities and conduct joint search and rescue and signal light drills.
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History, money and military: why the South China Sea is so important to Beijing
As one of the rival claimants in the South China Sea disputes and an outspoken critic of China’s expansive claims in the waters, Vietnam has adopted nuanced “bamboo diplomacy” – carefully balancing its relationships and navigating between China and the US – while also steadily pushing for close defence ties with the US and its allies in the region.
During a visit to Hanoi on Tuesday, Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara announced that Japan would provide two Ground Self-Defence Force supply transport vehicles to Vietnam as the first project under an agreement on the transfer of defence equipment and technology that came into effect in 2021.