June 22, 2017

"Vice-Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong has unexpectedly cut short his trip to Vietnam. The Chinese defense ministry told the Global Times Wednesday that the Chinese side canceled a scheduled high-level border meeting with Vietnam for reasons related to working arrangements. Foreign media outlets think the cancelation may be caused by a bilateral dispute over Vietnam's oil and gas drilling in disputed areas of the South China Sea. No official statement has yet been made by the Vietnamese side. It seems the China-Vietnam relationship will continue to be disturbed by the South China Sea dispute in future.

Since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte adjusted his country's South China Sea policy last year, the South China Sea situation has changed drastically. The dominant consensus is for countries in the region to ease relations and solve disputes through peaceful ways. The China-Vietnam relationship has also witnessed a positive momentum, with the maritime disputes between the two easing up. The situation should be cherished by both sides, as they can concentrate on domestic affairs and it is conducive to further expanding mutual beneficial cooperation."

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http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1053082.shtml