"China Rams and Sinks Vienamese Fishing Boat" Topic

China just rammed a Vietnamese fishing vessel, which sank, a few days ago, since apparently it was venturing too close to one of China's controversial oil rigs in disputed waters.

Apparently, the Chinese vessel then fled the area.

I didn't hear what happened to the sunken vessel's crew.

Haven't heard much else since then, but imagine there will be more to this story, soon.

Sorry, don't have a link with more info, since internet time is limited, but I imagine the details shouldn't be too difficult to find, if desired.

Needless to say, this isn't surprising, and ups the ante in the South and East China Seas (Western Phillipine Sea).

Next thing you know, they'll be ramming people's recon aircraft.

Oh wait. :(

For kyote: anyone gaming this with Shipwreck? What scale do you use?

Anytime, good sir.

And you know, I'm not entirely facetious. Would make for a good scenario to include some Vietnamese and PLA(N) ships to respond/escalate.

And by "good" I mean "fun to play on the tabletop but I really really don't want this stuff to spin out of control in Real Life."

Cod Wars II: South China Sea Boogaloo!

Ho Li Fuk

Let me again plug Compass Games' "Breaking the Chains". The last scenario I played a month ago involved the Vietnamese and Philippine forces teaming up to stop a Chinese attempt to control this very area. link

China and Vietnam actually had good relations until recently when the SCS island dispute between them flared up. Indiscriminate anti-Chinese protests at various factories in Vietnam resulted in fatalities which turned out to be Taiwanese, and factories owned by Singapore and Japan reportedly were also hit.

At this rate China will have few friends left in the region and all the good will she painstakingly built and maintained throughtout the 1990s and early 21st century through economic ties and investments will be undone.

Mako11,
Report I read had other Vietnamese fishing boats picking up the crew (not the alleged 40 Chinese vessels present).

And what has China gained from all this:
1. US back in Phillippines
2. Philippines buying ships and fighters
3. Vietnam buying 6xKilo subs
4. S Korea and Japan both looking at increasing naval power
5. Indonesia looking at seriously ramping up it's naval and air forces
6. Most of SE Asia building up serious tank forces (OK, compared to what they were)
7. upsetting India over the southern Himalaya areas China claims
8. moslem insurgency in Xinjiang – could jeopardise Chinese business in Central Asia and also attract foreign jihadists

Oh, and by the way, Australia confirming F-35 purchase was not, despite what one Japanese News Agency said, Australia scrambling to keep up with China … RAAF has always wanted this outcome and the process has been anything but quick.

Years ago I was talking with a chap from Bhutan who told me that his country had given up a vast area following Chinese demands. He laughed, saying that the area was largely mountain and therefore useless. I said that Bhutan had given up a valuable buffer and allowed the Chinese to lay road/rail right up to their habitable land. Bhutan is too small to resist the Chinese anyway.

According to a skim of this article the area which they gave up offers a – "commanding view" of Indian defenses and "provides a launch pad to progress operations into the Siliguri Corridor,"

link

I guess that China will back down if it receives a co-ordinated smack from it's neighbours.

None of it's neighbors could co-ordinate, let alone deliver a smack that would not result in a bigger backhand from Mainland China..

Thanks for the additional details, FPR.