December 01- 08, 2013

December 02: Vietnamese fishing boat was vandelized by Chinese on the disputed water

Fishermen Stories Blog: Despite the fact that the injured fisherman was fallen into coma due to the loss of blood, the Chinese destroyed all of their life saving equipments such as walkie talkie, GPS, Radio etc… After the assault the Chinese then provided him first aid medical treatment and soon released him back to Vietnamese mainland. The damage caused by the Chinese assault was estimated at $3,500 USD

December 03: Chinese envoy: After air zone over East China Sea, other regions may follow

GMA News: China has a sovereign right to establish a maritime air defense zone over another region as it did in the East China Sea, the Chinese envoy to the Philippines said Monday.

December 05:  Chinese Naval Vessel Tries to Force U.S. Warship to Stop in International Waters

The Washington Free Bacon: “On December 5th, while lawfully operating in international waters in the South China Sea, USS Cowpens and a PLA Navy vessel had an encounter that required maneuvering to avoid a collision,” a Navy official said.

December 05 – 07: Vietnam, China talk on territory, in which maritime issues were also discussed:

Vietnam (+): On maritime issues, both sides came to terms on seriously carrying out common perceptions reached by leaders of the two countries and the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues, properly settling maritime issues for peace and stability at sea.

The two sides officially set up a Working Group to discuss cooperation for mutual development at sea in the framework of governmental negotiations on Vietnam-China border and territory and agreed on the group’s operation mechanism. They agreed that the group will convene the first meeting early next year to devise the specific content and guiding principles for discussions on cooperation for mutual development at sea.

The officials consented to stepping up negotiations on areas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin with a view to early achieving substantial outcomes, and saw eye to eye on joint survey sites in areas of overlapping claims in waters beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin .

The two sides reached a consensus on deploying two cooperation deals on less-sensitive issues (?) signed during Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s recent visit to Vietnam while exerting efforts to seek other agreements on maritime environment protection, marine science research, search and rescue at sea, and disaster prevention.

Xinhua: During their talks, the two sides affirmed the positive progress of the working groups on waters outside the mouth of the Beibu Gulf, the expert group on maritime cooperation in less sensitive areas and the China-Vietnam Land Border Joint Committee. The two sides also mapped out specific working directions for 2014.

The two sides announced to establish the Working Group for Consultation on China-Vietnam Joint Maritime Development as one of the measures to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries. The two heads of the working group are to hold their first meeting in January 2014.

The two sides also agreed to promote cross-border and maritime cooperation and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea based on the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

December 05: Japan-ASEAN draft implies China’s new ADIZ is a security threat

The Japan Times: Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will express their concern in a joint statement that any abuse of power in international civil aviation could pose a security “threat,” a Japan-ASEAN diplomatic source said Thursday, in an implicit reference to China’s new air defense zone.

December 05: Vietnam follows developments in East China Sea (and South China Sea)

Vietnam +: Regarding China’s move to send its Liaoning aircraft carrier on a training mission in the East Sea (South China Sea) and the possibility that China will establish an ADIZ in the East Sea, the deputy spokesperson underscored that all activities carried out by parties in the East Sea need to respect the national sovereignty, sovereignty right and jurisdiction of involved states.

December 06: Taiwanese President Ma to urge China not to designate ADIZ in South China Sea

Focus Taiwan News Channel: President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that he will ask China not to establish an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea, and described Beijing’s recent demarcation of an East China Sea ADIZ as unhelpful to the positive development of relations between Taiwan and China.

December 07: Philippines, Japan called on the international community to oppose China’s new ADIZ over East China Sea and possibly South China Sea

The Province: Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera discussed Japan’s concern over China’s action separately with Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Australian Foreign Minister Julia Bishop. Onodera and Bishop separately visited central Tacloban city, which was ruined by Typhoon Haiyan last month.

In his meeting with Bishop, Onodera said he mentioned that the international community “should meet to deal with this matter together” and that any unilateral action by coercive means should be opposed.