![]() ![]() That conflict is the tensest, given the bloody history shared by the two nations.Īt the same time, China claims much of the South China Sea, conflicting with smaller claims by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In the East China Sea, Beijing claims sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, which are called Senkaku in Japan. John McCain called the development “disturbing and escalatory.” It is not clear whether the mobile units were removed.Ĭhina is tangled in territorial disputes in both the East and South China Seas. ![]() At a news conference in Ho Chi Minh City in May, Sen. The weapons were within range of Vietnamese offshore installations. In a bold move, China placed two mobile artillery weapons systems on artificial islands in the disputed zone, breaking a 2002 ASEAN agreement that was signed by the PRC’s then-vice minister of foreign affairs. The horn-locking between Beijing and Hanoi persists. “I was surprised that the political situation stopped so many Chinese tourists from coming.” At popular sightseeing destinations, it’s no longer common to hear guides giving tours in Putonghua. “We only have three occupied rooms right now,” said the manager of one hotel a stone’s throw from the beach. But even those flights aren’t always at full capacity. Some Chinese tourists still trickle in, lured by budget plane tickets costing as low as $3 plus tax. Those numbers didn’t recover, and the National Administration of Tourism has indicated a further 18 percent dip in accrued visitors from China up to September, compared to a year before, leaving Vietnamese cities like Da Nang quieter than they have been in years. Tour guides were left idle and travel agents were laid off.įigures from the beginning of this year showed a 40 percent decrease in visitors from China, and over half a million room-nights were lost in 2014. This kicked off a series of anti-China riots in Vietnam, where protestors attacked and burned factories mostly owned, in fact, by Taiwanese companies.Īlmost immediately, flights to Vietnam from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia became lighter. Vietnamese patrol boats chased the oil rig around. The vessel occupied an area of the South China Sea that was under territorial dispute-the Chinese government claimed the oil rig was merely stopping in China’s own backyard, while their Vietnamese counterparts said the oil rig did not have permission to enter those waters. In May 2014, after completing a drilling assignment, an oil rig operated by state-owned China Oilfield Services Ltd. Nowhere has that been more apparent than in Vietnam. guided missile destroyer sailed within 12 miles of an artificial reef being built far out in the water, an intentionally provocative American move that Beijing labeled “extremely irresponsible.”īut the real weight of these confrontations falls on the smaller countries along the Sea’s littoral. And once again a vague specter of war hangs on the horizon like a distant but threatening storm.Īs China expands its military presence and territorial claims in the South China Sea, it is being challenged, not least, by the United States. Chinese tourists, often entire families traveling with a package, would stop off before moving on to the next city. Indeed, Da Nang looks a little like a third-tier Chinese city, with constant construction kicking up dust, and huge trucks barreling down wide boulevards along the coastline, but the traces of French colonial architecture and generally laidback vibes warrant a stay lasting a day or two. The People’s Republic has the world’s largest middle class, and those with a little cash to flash are eager to enjoy the trappings of new locales. During China’s boom years, Vietnam’s tourism industry was bolstered by masses of Chinese visitors. In the decades since, amid the rapid modernization of Vietnam, Da Nang has become a popular international tourist destination. As it happened, the GI’s called it “China Beach.” DA NANG, Vietnam - The 20 miles of white sand that is My Khe Beach used to be a destination for American soldiers in Vietnam seeking rest and recreation. ![]()
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