more rumblings in Vietnam

[madd0ct0r]

1) Vietnam is absolutely, in no way at all, completely definitely not looking for an IMF bailout....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-0 ... -debt.html


2) Only a rumbling this one, but all military officials above a certain rank are now eligible for a scholarship to send their children abroad. The difference? China is paying....

[mr friendly guy]

Why would China pay? What are they getting in return.

[Lusankya]

Why would China pay? What are they getting in return.

High ranking Vietnamese military officers, evidently. Sounds like a bargain.

[madd0ct0r]

Why would China pay? What are they getting in return.

is this a serious question?

two words: vassal state.

[Guardsman Bass]

More likely it's an attempt by China to patch up relations a bit after all the bad blood in recent decades (particularly with the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979). I would imagine it's especially important for China because the Vietnamese government has been getting cozier with the US government on security matters in the South China Sea.

[madd0ct0r]

recent decades? try recent months.

Chinese and vietnamese fishing vessels have been scrapping in the area - a vietnamese survey vessel had it's cables cut by a chinese one.

[Guardsman Bass]

Recent decades includes recent months.

[madd0ct0r]

my point is that china has no real need or interest in patching up relations (hence the recent aggro), but would benefit from a compliant vietnam under a military junta or still benefit from a merely destabilised vietnam.

There's cross border trade, but they compete a lot for investement too.

[mr friendly guy]

Why would China pay? What are they getting in return.

is this a serious question?

two words: vassal state.

To be honest, modern day Vietnam and vassal state just doesn't go together. I suppose they could get some high ranking vietnamese as an equivalent of a western lobbyist to help with China's interest in the region. However it strikes me as there are lots of forces in Vietnam who would oppose China in the areas the two countries have disputes.

[Irbis]

Why would China pay? What are they getting in return.

Vietnam/China claim the same islands off the shore of both. Getting the people Vietnamese politicians would ask to rattle saber for them could do wonders to China's negotiating position.

[Sea Skimmer]

It wasn't that long ago that the idea of the US coming back to Cam Ranh Bay was raised in some circles. It was never going to happen for big reasons on both sides of the Pacific, but the very idea that talk like that could even exist anywhere is a bit terrifying to the Chinese Communists. They have money to blow on influence, they hand out rather large stadiums in Africa for example, funding some kids education in a nation right next door is not a big deal even if they never get anything out of it. The Chinese fear a return of isolation, and rightly so. They become more dependent on foreign trade by the second.

[montypython]

It wasn't that long ago that the idea of the US coming back to Cam Ranh Bay was raised in some circles. It was never going to happen for big reasons on both sides of the Pacific, but the very idea that talk like that could even exist anywhere is a bit terrifying to the Chinese Communists. They have money to blow on influence, they hand out rather large stadiums in Africa for example, funding some kids education in a nation right next door is not a big deal even if they never get anything out of it. The Chinese fear a return of isolation, and rightly so. They become more dependent on foreign trade by the second.

The Chinese position is no different than how the US railed against Soviet forces in Cuba, if anything it's much more revealing of the rank hypocrisy and double standards of the US than whatever Chinese actions may be.