Not only using Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling rig as a “fleet” blatantly infringing upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Vietnam, the Beijing Government also uses giant media apparatus against Vietnam.
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Chinese ships continuously attack Vietnamese ones. (Photo: Vietnam Coast Guard) |
The Chinese media campaign defames Vietnam, exaggerating the actions of some extremists, who were indignant with China about violating Vietnam’s sovereignty. The malicious intent of the campaign is to distort Vietnam’s image before the international community as an attempt to overshadow China’s warlike, aggressive image.
Even news agencies which still retain conservative thinking and are unfriendly towards Vietnam raise their voice about this issue. Under the heading: “Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling rig: China makes an attack to smear Vietnam”, Vietnamese RFI Radio exposes China’s sinister trick.
The article began that Beijing is taking advantage of instances of bad behaviour by individuals in Vietnam. Under the pretext of demonstration against China’s aggression damages occurred not only to the facilities of Chinese people but also facilities of Taiwan (China), Singapore and South Korea. Beijing has exaggerated the spontaneous disturbances in Vietnam, attracting the attention of the world public opinion. Its goal is to eclipse the warlike and aggressive image China has exposed by taking a large and powerful fleet to escort the drilling rig operating in Vietnam’s waters.
The article pointed out: The clearest indication shows that the tactics China is carrying out have gained some effectiveness, which is the content of articles of the international press in recent times, relating to Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling rig.
In about the first week, after Vietnam publicly denounced China for using force to place the drilling rig in the sea region that the country “disputes” with Vietnam, international opinion was greatly sympathetic towards Vietnam, frequently using words like “provocative”, “illegal”, and even “oppress small country” to describe the actions of China.
After disturbances in facilities of Chinese people in some industrial zones in Binh Duong province, and following damages and injury to some workers of Taiwan’s steel plant in Vung Ang industrial zone in the central province of Ha Tinh, the international press seems to focus on exploiting this theme. Currently the number of articles about the developments in the East Sea is reducing. When talking about the protest movement against China in Vietnam, journalists almost always refer to the disturbances.
The article said that Beijing has taken advantage of untoward facts on the sidelines of protests against China by Vietnamese people. The incidents are not caused by the anti-China protesters according to some sources of news. China seeks to describe Vietnam as a country unfriendly towards foreigners in general, not just Chinese.
The article highlighted the wicked bias of the Chinese communications. It lies in the fact that Beijing focused on an unsafe business environment in Vietnam. This attack comes at a time when Hanoi is exerting its efforts to attract foreign investment which increasingly wants to leave China.
The article stressed that China’s strategy to smear Vietnam is shown in both diplomatic and press factors. Their official argument states that Vietnamese authorities colluded with demonstrators to demolish Chinese foundations and the foundations of other Asian countries.
Press agencies in China continuously delivered news on material losses that foreign companies suffered, besides statements by those who fled home or travelled to Cambodia to seek shelter.
Entitled “Being a culprit of provoke, China wants to portray itself as a victim”, the article exposed the deceitful nature of Chinese communications. “According to observers, Beijing’s goal is to dim a warlike China in the case of Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling rig to highlight an aggressive Vietnam. Being a source of tension in the Vietnam - China relations, China is trying to portray itself as a victim”.
One of the factors aimed to put the public off the scent is China’s decision to bring ships to Vietnam to evacuate immigrants. It is as though the two countries are conducting a war and Vietnam is a country with a lack of security.
According to David Koh, a senior researcher of Vietnam at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, China’s move to send ships to pick up its workers “could have been an overreaction.” Being quoted by US Bloomberg news, the expert said: “Whether it is purposely done, intended as a political statement or not, that’s very hard to tell. The signal could actually be for the Chinese citizens as well, to tell them that the Chinese state does care for them.”
Quoting a commentary on May 18 from Xinhua News Agency, the article noted that Chinese communications clearly reflect Beijing’s current strategy to smear Vietnam. Titled “Vietnam to take economic hit for violent protests”, the commentary opened with the comment: “China continued an emergency evacuation of its nationals from Vietnam... after anti-China violence unchecked by Hanoi.”
According to Xinhua news agency, “The violent protests by irrational rioters can not be justified under any circumstances and will in no way strengthen Hanoi's groundless claim over Chinese territory and surrounding waters in the East Sea”.
Not stopping the smear attempt, Xinhua News Agency also warned: “For Vietnam, the failure to prevent the violence has tarnished its image as a favourable destination for international investment and tourism, which could have severe consequences for its economy. The social unrest has disrupted the normal operations of foreign-invested companies and undermined the confidence of not only Chinese investors, but also investors from other countries as well”.
With the same argument, China daily news on May 19 ran an editorial stressing the seriousness of the riot situation in Vietnam which made foreign companies suffer great losses.
The news agency added that the sovereignty dispute in the East Sea will not possibly end. For investors and their governments, the important issue is not the demonstrations themselves but the impuissance of the Vietnamese government and localities in controlling the demonstrations.
The RFI article exposed China’s wicked intentions by running an argument that together with the above move, China increased pressure on Vietnam through diplomacy. The added pressure was applied when it announced suspended cooperation with Vietnam on some fields, later to be expanded. In economic terms, Beijing has applied measures to reduce tourist arrivals to Vietnam. According to Beijing figures, about 1.8 million Chinese visited Vietnam last year.
In military affairs, Beijing continues to reinforce vessels to protect their oil drilling operations.
Despite communication mobilization in an unjust campaign against Vietnam to distort the image of a peace-loving country and a peace-needing country for development, China can temporarily overpower. However, the truth, justice and human native good judgment will soon reveal vile trickery and wicked intentions of people who want to make the East Sea become their “own pond” and the territory of a sovereign country become their backyard.
Despite hiding behind any mask, falsity will be discovered./.