Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Vietnam's Southeast Asia Leadership Post in 2020 to Challenge China

Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI - Vietnam's turn this year as chair of Southeast Asian nations'
   bloc gives it a new outlet to resist China in a festering maritime
   sovereignty dispute that involves three other member countries as well.

   Hanoi will take over as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian
   nations January 1 and hold that position for a year before rotating it
   to another of the bloc's 10 members. Chairs of the group better known
   as ASEAN can set the agenda each year and spearhead initiatives for the
   full bloc's review.

   As chair, Vietnam is expected to place the maritime dispute high on the
   agendas for ASEAN's foreign ministers meeting in mid-year, the
   leadership summit in November and numerous side meetings, Southeast
   Asia scholars say.

   Vietnam is already the most outspoken among Southeast Asian claimants
   to the South China Sea, where Beijing has taken a military and
   technological lead over the past decade.

   "They can bring out the agenda for the year or they can bring out the
   issues for other ASEAN members to talk about or they can propose the
   initiatives for the organization, so I think that Vietnam can take
   advantage of that," said Trung Thanh Nguyen, Center for International
   Studies director at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in
   Ho Chi Minh City.

   "They will talk more about the South China Sea in every multilateral
   meeting in ASEAN," Nguyen said.

   China claims about 90% of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea, which
   is prized for fisheries, marine shipping lanes and fossil fuel
   reserves.

   Vietnam's power as ASEAN chair

   Vietnam can decide what the whole bloc considers as priorities, from
   the maritime dispute to regional trade and counterterrorism work. The
   lead country also issues a statement at the leadership summit and may
   propose a theme such as the "Advancing Partnership for Sustainability"
   motto that Thailand used as chair in 2019.

   ASEAN formally advocates "peace, security and stability" without
   calling for any particular solution to the sovereignty disputes.

.