Philippine, Vietnamese navies to unite against China over beers and volleyball

MANILA/HONG KONG: The Philippine navy will soon return to a South China Sea island it lost to Vietnam 40 years ago to drink beer and play volleyball with Vietnamese sailors, symbolising how once-suspicious neighbours are cooperating in the face of China’s assertiveness in disputed waters.

Diplomats and experts describe the nascent partnership as part of a web of evolving relationships across Asia that are being driven by fear of China as well as doubts among some, especially in Japan, over the US commitment to the region.

When US President Barack Obama visits Asia this month he will see signs that once- disparate nations are strategising for the future, even though he will likely seek to shore- up faith in America’s ‘ pivot’ back to the region.

Among the new network of ties: growing cooperation between Japan and India; Vietnam courting India and Russia; and Manila and Hanoi, the two capitals most feeling China’s wrath over claims to the potentially energyrich South China Sea, working more closely together. The Philippines and Vietnam are also talking to Malaysia about China.

“We are seeing a definite trend here, one that is likely to accelerate,” said Rory Medcalf, a regional security specialist at Australia’s independent Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney.

“It is quite a creative dance as countries hedge and try to cover themselves for multiple possible futures.” While it was unlikely the new- found relationships would become military alliances, there was an intensity to their strategic discussions, including the sharing of assessments about China’s rise and influence, Medcalf said.

Regional diplomats confirmed increasing levels of trust at a working level, as countries find that China’s projection of naval power into Asia’s waters is driving them together.