24 March 2021
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- Europe’s Increased Engagement in East Vietnam Sea
A stronger presence of Europe could put pressure from the international community on China over the East Vietnam Sea issue. Amid reports that Germany would deploy warships through the East Vietnam Sea for the first time in 19 years, China on March 3 called on Berlin not to infringe on the sovereignty of the claimants in these waters. However, while Europe’s recent military moves have been rampant, suggesting a ‘one-and-all’ and systematic response, there are also some concerns about the levels of its commitment to this region. Likewise, Singapore scholar Collin Koh Swee Lean at RSIS believes that only the United States, the United Kingdom, and perhaps Canada, which are the countries with ‘one-and-all’ actions, share the same goal. “I don’t think they actually act in unison, and I see more competitive dynamic than anything else – recall that even amongst European powers, there’re also rivalries amongst them.”
IDSS / Print
Last updated on 04/05/2021