Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc
Credit: Reuters
(Reuters) Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Wednesday his country was not pursuing a military buildup over the South China Sea and would work with allies to seek peaceful solutions to disputes, with no use of force.
Speaking in a rare interview with some foreign journalists after a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama, Phuc said the South China Sea dynamic had grown in complexity and needed regional friends and strategic partners to ensure harmony and avoid any disruption to maritime trade.
His comments came two days after Obama removed a decades-old lethal arms embargo on Vietnam, allowing the communist country’s military to engage closer with its U.S. counterparts and procure American defense technology.
“Vietnam does not pursue military buildup, but Vietnam pursues protecting our sovereignty, firstly with peaceful measures, diplomatic measures and even justice measures,” Phuc said.
“Vietnam is a country that loves peace and Vietnam resolves international and regional issues based on international laws … in the spirit of not using force and not using force to threaten each other.”
Phuc made no reference to China during the interview and it was unclear what he meant when he used the word “justice” as a means of preserving Vietnam’s sovereignty claims.
He took office last month and is a member of a leadership triumvirate that has the difficult task of maintaining the Communist Party’s close ties with its Chinese counterpart, while under pressure from its people to stand up to Beijing’s growing maritime assertiveness.
Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Wednesday his country was not pursuing a military buildup over the South China Sea and would work with allies to seek peaceful solutions to disputes, with no use of force.
Speaking in a rare interview with some foreign journalists after a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama, Phuc said the South China Sea dynamic had grown in complexity and needed regional friends and strategic partners to ensure harmony and avoid any disruption to maritime trade.
His comments came two days after Obama removed a decades-old lethal arms embargo on Vietnam, allowing the communist country’s military to engage closer with its U.S. counterparts and procure American defense technology.
“Vietnam does not pursue military buildup, but Vietnam pursues protecting our sovereignty, firstly with peaceful measures, diplomatic measures and even justice measures,” Phuc said.
“Vietnam is a country that loves peace and Vietnam resolves international and regional issues based on international laws … in the spirit of not using force and not using force to threaten each other.”
Phuc made no reference to China during the interview and it was unclear what he meant when he used the word “justice” as a means of preserving Vietnam’s sovereignty claims.
He took office last month and is a member of a leadership triumvirate that has the difficult task of maintaining the Communist Party’s close ties with its Chinese counterpart, while under pressure from its people to stand up to Beijing’s growing maritime assertiveness.