-Politic

Vietnam considers China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea as a threat to vital national security
interests. Since the 1970s and the conclusions of the Vietnam War, the South China Sea has
emerged as an area of persistent competition that threatens regional security and represents a
potential flashpoint between an emerging China and the United States. At stake are not only
China’s claims of sovereignty over the islands and access to resources, particularly oil and gas, but
China’s prestige and its historical legacy as the dominant regional power. For centuries, China took
its dominance over the South China Sea for granted, never feeling the need to occupy the islands
when the Middle Kingdom was powerful and influential.