Vietnam has a tricky balancing act of opposing actions by China that it deems infringements on its sovereignty, while needing to maintain close relations with a giant neighbour and major trade partner, forged over decades by their ruling Communist Parties.
Vietnamese and Chinese coastguards on Thursday conducted their third joint patrol in the northern part of the Gulf of Tonkin this year.
Teodoro said it was important the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN be central to ensuring peace and stability and freedom of navigation and aviation in the South China Sea.
“We talked about making more concrete and effective steps of working together and with our ASEAN partners, to ensure the continuity of these desires of all ASEAN peoples through concrete cooperation and interaction, underscoring the primacy of international law,” he said.
Despite their overlapping claims in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where Vietnam and the Philippines each occupies atolls and reefs, both countries have expressed desire to work together and tackle disputes.
Their coastguards earlier this month held their first-ever joint exercises in Manila, simulating fire-fighting drills and search-and-rescue exercises.
