A group of British warships is present in Asia and visiting waters in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia from the last week of July 2021, several regional security observers commented to the BBC about the possibility that this group of ships on the way back can visit Vietnam or not.
On Monday, August 2 from Hanoi, Dr. Ha Hoang Hop, senior researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asia (Isas, Singapore) and research fellow at the London-based IISS Institute for Strategic Studies, told BBC News Vietnamese:
“This is a group of British naval ships – led by HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, in the group’s schedule they have gone to Singapore and Japan, possibly on their way back from Japan, if there is agreement, it will visit Vietnam.
That is a possibility, although no discussion or agreement has been announced so far.
The voyage of the British naval grouping to the regional waters of Southeast and Northeast Asia is an important one, as it marks a milestone in Britain’s return to a powerful role as a global power as before, not just a European power.
The present moment and stage is when the UK is beginning to rebuild its strategic position on a global scale and this is a simple, yet strategic accomplishment for the UK in this era. In the post-Brexit era, it’s because the UK’s engagements in Europe, in the Arctic, around Canada, on the South American side, on the other side in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East have all been routine, then, now only Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and the Western Pacific are the areas in which the UK has not had much activity in the past 12 years.
So now, the UK begins to prioritize activities including politics, as well as defense in the region, which defense here means cooperation on security and defense with countries in the region. Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, namely cooperation with Japan, Korea, Philippines, long-standing cooperation with Singapore and also with Vietnam has been strengthened recently.
Therefore, the appearance and operation of the British battleship group is a small step, but it is very important, because for more than half a century now, Britain has joined the “Five Eyes” bloc led by the US at the top, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. This is a very important bloc, covering this region and currently the UK is having direct involvement at sea and in political relations.
It is a significant and landmark step for Britain in terms of its security, defense and political strategy in the region, in its return to the global level as an international power, which in Britain also participates in a common strategy of the bloc of great powers and allies in the Indo-Pacific region, with a vision covering Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and the West. Pacific Ocean, South Pacific etc..
On this occasion, I would also like to mention the UK-Vietnam partnership, up to now the two countries have built a relationship at the level of a strategic partnership and this relationship has existed for more than ten years.
I think that both the UK and Vietnam are having some specific preparation steps to be able to move towards a comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnam has this relationship with China and Russia, so it can be seen that there is no obstacle for Vietnam to be able to upgrade its comprehensive strategic partnership with countries other than the other two, which for example with the UK.
And in my view, between now and the end of the year, between the UK and Vietnam can move towards this comprehensive strategic partnership.”
Would be welcome?
Also on August 2, from Hanoi, Dr. Tran Cong Truc, former Head of the Border Department of the Government of Vietnam, gave his comments:
“In my opinion, if in their additional voyage, the British warship group passes through the area, when returning to visit Vietnam, this will be a move welcomed by the Vietnamese side.
Because if this event happens, it will be a visit and exchange of military diplomacy useful for exchanging experiences and cooperating with each other to contribute to maintaining peace and security. region, helping to avoid conflicts, this is something that Vietnam welcomes, in my opinion.
Currently, although the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic is still casting a shadow over many places in the world, in the region, especially in the South China Sea, China is still promoting its ambition to turn the South China Sea into a springboard for competition to gain power, influence, confront the US and even compete with the West.
To be frank, the South China Sea is still a very important area for this great power, because it is the only way for them to reach out to sea and compete for superpower status, even from the table. This pedal is directed to the West and South Pacific, in the scenario of competing for influence in the region, and then in the world. In my opinion, the South China Sea is still in China’s determination to seize it.
In this awareness, regarding its legal rights and in the process of self-protecting those legitimate sovereign rights in the regional waters, Vietnam highly welcomes the support and solidarity of all other countries in the region, as well as in the world, especially those with military, defense, science and technology capabilities that can help and support Vietnam.
Vietnam, in my opinion, always welcomes and thanks that help and support, as it has been receiving from those friends and powers in the fight against Covid-19 recently and now, and in the current situation. In the South China Sea, if the tense situation occurs with flagrant violations of Vietnam’s sovereign rights and other legal rights in the South China Sea, then surely Vietnam must both make efforts to prevent it, but not forget to call for the agreement, help and solidarity of friends, it is a lesson through history that is still topical today and here.
And as for the Vietnam-UK relationship, over the past decades, I think the time has come and it’s ripe for the two countries to upgrade their relationship to comprehensive strategic partnership.” Dr Tran Cong Truc told the BBC on Monday.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
Source: https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/vietnam-58059964
