VZCZCXRO9503
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHHI #0464/01 1130728
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 220728Z APR 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7672
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7101
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 4628

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000464 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2018 
TAGS: PREL PBGT PHSA VM
SUBJECT: SOME IN GVN APPARENTLY UNWORRIED ABOUT SITUATION 
IN SOUTH CHINA SEA 
 
HANOI 00000464  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Brian Aggeler. 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  An MFA expert on maritime issues recently 
described the situation in the South China Sea in 2008 as 
"stable and quiet."  He expressed no concern about the 
possibility of a reoccurrence of last year's fishing and oil 
drilling disputes with China.  On the other hand, he focused 
on the Philippines' draft legislation to extend its maritime 
boundary which, if approved, he said would disrupt the status 
quo in the region.  This official's remarks were a far cry 
from GVN requests during the past six months for U.S. 
engagement on the South China Sea issue and suggest that at 
least certain circles within the GVN are not concerned about 
a repeat of last summer's heavy-handedness by the Chinese. 
End Summary. 
 
VN-CH Discussions Focus on Land Border 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On April 18, poloff discussed South China Sea-related 
issues with MFA Committee on Frontier Issues, Marine Affairs 
Department Deputy Director Nguyen Manh Hien.  According to 
Hien, South China Sea-related issues were not raised during 
the April 7-17 Vietnam-China Demarcation Committee meeting. 
The meeting, held in Ho Chi Minh City, was the 25th 
chairman-level meeting of this body, whose work focuses 
exclusively on bilateral land border issues.  Hien explained 
that there are two additional bilateral mechanisms for 
addressing bilateral maritime issues, committees on the Gulf 
of Tonkin area and the South China Sea, respectively.  The 
Tonkin Gulf committee completed its fourth meeting in January 
in Beijing and Hien thought another round will take place 
later this year, based on an agreement to hold bi-annual 
meetings. 
 
¶3. (C) Concerning the expert-level bilateral South China Sea 
committee, eleven rounds have been completed, but the most 
recent was in 2006.  Since that time, the head of the Chinese 
delegation has been "too busy" to meet.  Hien said the GVN 
has a standing offer to meet with its Chinese counterparts on 
this committee.  Since 2006, South China Sea issues have been 
discussed at various meetings between Vietnamese and Chinese 
officials, but no meetings have been dedicated exclusively to 
those issues.  Hien said that it is "easy to understand the 
lack of progress" on South China Sea issues since the focus 
of both governments has been on resolving land border issues. 
 
¶4. (C) Hien continued that there have been no negative 
developments in the South China Sea situation since the 
beginning of 2008 and, except for the possible Philippines' 
claim (discussed below), the situation has been "stable and 
quiet."  In his opinion, there will be no obstacles this year 
that would keep oil companies from conducting exploration and 
drilling in Vietnamese blocks, except for those caused by bad 
weather. 
 
Philippines' Expanded Claim has GVN's Attention 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5. (C) Hien continued with a lengthy description of draft 
bill 3216 in the Philippines' legislature that would extend 
that country's territorial claim in the South China Sea 
beyond its current line.  By recognizing proposed baselines 
in the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, the bill, if 
passed, would extend the Philippines' 200 mile zone into 
Vietnamese waters.  Hien said the 2002 ASEAN Declaration on 
the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea ("DOC") is 
"still out there," so any expanded claim by the Philippines 
would be "hard for the GVN to accept."  He mentioned that the 
GVN has raised the matter with the Philippines' government, 
urging it to "not further complicate the situation in the 
region," but that internal Phillippines' political issues 
make it "difficult for the leaders to make a decision."  Hien 
also noted that China was "most concerned" about the 
Philippines' action to extend its border. 
 
¶6. (C) On the subject of the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking 
("JMSU") between the Philippines, China and Vietnam, Hien 
said the subject area is small and limited to an area claimed 
by the three countries.  He acknowledged that there are 
different opinions in the Philippines about JMSU's 
territorial implications, but offered that the JMSU is 
"simply a scientific issue" and cited the Convention on the 
Law of the Sea ("CLOS") as encouraging countries to find ways 
to cooperate, especially in areas where there are overlapping 
interests.  Hien thought the JMSU should be carried out to 
completion in order to build trust among the parties. 
 
¶7. (C) Concerning Vietnam's preparation to file its 
 
HANOI 00000464  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
continental shelf claim under the CLOS, Hien said Vietnam 
lacks necessary technology so the process is difficult. 
Despite the difficulties, he was certain Vietnam's claim 
would be ready for submission before the May 2009 deadline. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) Although Hien has been a responsive interlocutor on 
South China Sea issues in the past, during this meeting his 
only interest was to express GVN concern about Philippines' 
territorial ambitions.  Questions about South China Sea 
developments with China, prospects for the upcoming drilling 
season, reaction to the JMSU scandal in the Philippines, and 
an MFA outreach to U.S. maritime experts for advice were 
brushed off with one line responses.  In contrast, Hien waxed 
at length about the proposed Philippine's territorial claims 
as a violation of the DOC status quo.  There was no trace of 
previous appeals by GVN officials for U.S. engagement to 
counter Chinese heavy-handedness in the South China Sea. 
This suggests that at least some GVN circles do not currently 
expect China to disrupt the status quo in that area or, if 
they do, they do not look to the United States for a 
solution.  End Comment. 
MICHALAK