 Vietnam detains activists after South China Sea ruling Hanoi (AFP) July 17, 2016 - Scores of activists were detained in Vietnam's capital Sunday as they gathered to protest against China after it rejected a recent international ruling that dismissed its claims to much of the South China Sea. Anti-Chinese sentiment runs deep in communist Vietnam but the country's authoritarian rulers move swiftly to tamp down expressions of public anger, fearful that allowing such protests might embolden criticism of their rule. Activists had used social media to call for protests in Hanoi on Sunday in the wake of this week's ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague which found there was no legal basis for Beijing's claims to vast swathes of the South China Sea. The case was brought by the Philippines but the ruling has been a boon for other regional countries like Vietnam who also have competing claims to the strategic sea. Authorities in the capital Hanoi were ready for protests on Sunday. Plainclothes security forces were out in force, blanketing much of the city centre and keeping a close eye on any crowds that might be gathering, an AFP reporter on the scene said. Throughout the morning around 30 activists were swiftly bundled onto waiting buses and cars by security forces after they gathered to hold a protest near the city's famous Hoan Kiem lake, a common spot for demonstrations. Some chanted "Down with China invasion!" as they were led away to detention. Later in the day a group of nine activists held a brief rally outside the Philippines embassy. One held aloft a banner that read: "Thank you Philippines. You have a brave government." The group dispersed on motorbike before security forces arrived. Activists posted pictures on social media of similar flashmob rallies in southern Ho Chi Minh City with protesters riding around the city on motorbikes holding banners criticising China.
US, Chinese naval commanders to meet amid tensions Admiral John Richardson, chief of US naval operations, will conduct a three-day visit beginning Sunday, stopping in Beijing and the coastal city of Qingdao, and will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wu Shengli. Beijing was incensed by the ruling of an international tribunal Tuesday which invalidated China's claims to the strategic waterway and promised a "decisive response" to any "provocative action" in the region. The United States, which has the largest navy in the world, maintains a permanent presence of military vessels in the region. Since last year it has also conducted three "freedom of navigation" patrols in the region, sending war ships within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands built by Beijing in the South China Sea to signal that Washington does not accept China's territorial claims. Beijing has asserted claims to as much as 90 percent of the South China Sea, infuriating regional neighbors such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. American officials have repeatedly complained of the "dangerous" conduct of Chinese aircraft, which have buzzed American planes in the region. But despite rising tensions, American and Chinese sailors have maintained navy-to-navy relations, seeking to minimize the risk of any misunderstandings. China has been invited to participate in this year's Rim of the Pacific naval exercises, currently being conducted between Hawaii and California.
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Tokyo raised pressure on Beijing at an Asia-Europe summit Saturday to respect an international tribunal's ruling that dismissed its claims to much of the South China Sea.
At a retreat outside the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the assembled leaders that the rule of law was "a universal principle that the international community must firmly maintain," according to Japan's Jiji Press.
"I strongly hope the parties to the dispute comply with the award and lead to a peaceful solution of the dispute in South China Sea," he said.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague on Tuesday ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing's claims to much of the South China Sea, which are embodied in a "nine-dash line" that dates from 1940s maps and stretches close to other countries' coasts.
The case was brought by the Philippines but the ruling has proved a boon to Tokyo, which is embroiled in a separate territorial dispute of its own with Beijing and vies with it for influence across Asia.
China boycotted the PCA hearings, saying the court had no jurisdiction, and has reacted furiously, vowing to ignore the ruling and arguing that it misinterprets international law.
It also said the subject should not be brought up at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Mongolian capital.
But despite Chinese objections, the EU also weighed in on the subject, with President Donald Tusk telling reporters that the grouping "will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law", adding that it had "full confidence" in the PCA and its decisions.
"It's not so easy to agree with our Chinese partners when it comes to this issue" he said. "Our talks were difficult, tough, but also promising."
- 'Hyping up' -
The comments by Abe and Tusk on Saturday followed a blitz of meetings between the Japanese leader and officials from around the region, including his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, on the summit sidelines as he sought to build consensus on the issue.
Both countries have competing claims with Beijing in the strategically vital South China Sea, where tensions have mounted over the Asian giant's construction of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations and its claims on the region's marine resources.
The new government in Manila has promised not to "taunt or flaunt" the verdict in the case, which was brought by the previous administration of Benigno Aquino, and its public comments were less forceful than Abe's.
According to a Philippines foreign ministry statement, Yasay told him the decision provided "a legal basis to move forward", and Manila was studying it "very carefully".
In Abe's meeting with Phuc, the two leaders agreed that the tribunal's ruling should be observed, and Abe offered to increase cooperation on building Vietnam's maritime law enforcement capabilities, Japanese foreign ministry spokesman Yasuhisa Kawamura told AFP.
The Japanese prime minister also brought his argument directly to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during a heated 30-minute meeting Friday.
Kawamura described the exchange as "frank and candid" and Chinese state media accounts described the Chinese leader telling Abe that Japan should "stop hyping up and interfering" in the dispute.
Beijing had hoped to use the ASEM summit -- official theme "Partnership for the Future through Connectivity" -- as an opportunity to showcase its global initiatives, such as the One Belt, One Road programme, an ambitious plan to build infrastructure projects across the Eurasian region.
China has sought to assert its claims in the South China Sea by building a network of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations, and this week reiterated its right to declare an Air Defence Identification Zone in the area, which would demand civilian flights submit to the authority of its military.
While the summit's final communique made no specific mention of the South China Sea, it said that leaders "reaffirmed their commitment" to maritime security and settling disputes according to the UN Convention on the Law of Sea.
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