Bac Ha horse racing festival In addition to the fresh climate and beautiful natural landscape, Bac Ha is also a land with many famous monuments, such as Hoang A Tuong Palace, Bac Ha temple, Trung Do temple, Thien Long cave. Along with that, the villages still preserve the unique cultural features of ethnic groups such as Ta Van Chu, Ta Van Chu commune; Trung Do village, Bao Nhai commune, Ban Pho village, Ban Pho commune… Especially, Bac Ha cultural market attracts a lot of domestic and foreign tourists to visit and shop. Bac Ha is also known by tourists near and far for its unique festivals, especially the nearly 100-year-old traditional horse racing festival, which takes place in June every year. According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lao Cai, in 1975, in Bac Ha held a parade with over 200 horses going around the central area to celebrate the liberation of the South and reunification of the country. In the spring of 1980, Bac Ha District Team (Military Command) organized a horse race, shooting to choose good horsemen and gunners to join the militia and transport food by road. After that, Bac Ha did not organize another tournament. In 2007, the Bac Ha traditional horse racing tournament was officially restored. Since then, the award has become an annual festival of Bac Ha district, held once a year, meeting the needs of people to enjoy the cultural and spiritual life, contributing to the preservation and promotion of cultural and sports traditions of ethnic minorities in Bac Ha; promoting the image of people and tourism in Bac Ha to domestic and foreign tourists, becoming a highlight to attract tourists to Bac Ha. In the past, horse racing took place around fields and hills and the finish line was in the center of town. When nearly reaching the finish line, the horsemen quickly jumped to the ground, pulled the flintlock on their shoulders and aimed at the target, fired 5 shots, then snatched the red ball, jumped on the horse and returned to the starting point. Whoever is both fast and hits the target the most is the winner. Today, the horse race in Bac Ha is no longer a shooting competition, the jockeys also have a separate arena, the race is organized and more attractive to viewers. Not a commercial, not a professional race, horse racing in Bac Ha is a race of farmers (jockeys) and racehorses are pack horses. A special feature of horse racing in Bac Ha is the carpentry race, where the jockeys ride on horseback without a saddle, without pedals to hold their feet, but only with a horse belt, two iron hooks tied to the ropes on either side of the jaw to control. With the courage, skillful horse control and endurance of both the rider and the fighting horse, the race took place fiercely, thrillingly, and attractively from qualifying to the final. With that distinction, the Bac Ha horse race is always expected and becomes a unique cultural feature of the ethnic minorities here. Ms. Chu Thi Duong, Vice Chairman of Bac Ha District People’s Committee – said that maintaining the Bac Ha traditional horse race is one of the local efforts to honor the good cultural values ​​of the people. Bac Ha highland minority in general and praised the unique and emotional attachment between upland people and animals that are extremely attached and familiar in their daily life and spiritual life. Bac Ha is a land that also contains many unique cultural values After becoming a national heritage, many culture and tourism experts believe that the Bac Ha horse racing tournament will enrich the culture of this land, especially improve tourism attraction with tourists. become a lever for tourism development in the coming time. Because of the fact, despite possessing abundant tourism resources, Bac Ha tourism still has not developed commensurately, tourist growth is low due to the lack of unique products, tourism facilities have not been invested in the same way. the set; the system of hotels and new houses is only on a small scale and still lacks high-quality facilities; tourism human resources have not met the requirements; the advertising, promotion, investment attraction to develop tourism products and services is not effective; ability to connect with Sa Pa, Lao Cai city, Si Ma Cai, Xin Man (Ha Giang) in coordinating tourists is still limited… Recognizing the difficulties in tourism development, and determined to create breakthroughs for Bac Ha’s green economy, according to the tourism development planning of Bac Ha district up to 2020, with a vision to 2030, Bac Ha will focus on multi-faceted development. To form tourism product lines (types of tourism) such as: cultural tourism, eco-tourism – community, sightseeing tourism, historical sites, festivals to meet the needs of discovery and experience. of visitors; Promote promotion through special publications, Internet system, social network; To promote the attraction of investment in the district’s tourism technical facilities, in which to give priority to the construction of 3-star or higher-class hotels in townships, and to develop community-based tourism; Building and upgrading routes connecting tourist attractions; Focus on training tourism human resources towards perfecting basic skills according to Vietnam Tourism Professional Standards; Strengthen the ability to connect, coordinate and transfer guests with localities in the province and Ha Giang province.

Cassava does not discourage us Tung Luat wharf (codename is wharf B) in Vinh Giang commune, Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri. Mr. Tran Phu Kiem (73 years old) was born and raised on the boat station. Since 1964, he directly joined the Tung Luat militia company. He said, at one point in one day and night, the unit carried 2,000 soldiers across the river to the South bank to fight. You are ready to serve at any hour. Mr. Tran Phu Kiem told about a boat trip across the river that was hit by a magnetic bomb In 1968, the United States repeatedly sprayed magnetic bombs and bombs slowly exploded along the Ben Hai river at the right time when the soldiers crossed the river. There was a ferry carrying 22 soldiers across the river at 8:00 pm, bombed with magnetic bombs. The army’s boat went to the ambulance, also bombed, overturned … 11 people could not find the body, two days after the unit gathered, the brothers had to bring an air tank to scuba dive, finally found enough comrades. . From 1968-1971, Tung Luat militia company vigorously fought with enemy aircraft, serving the army to cross the river, sometimes even supplying goods to Con Co island. Together they swore to stay in the same area. On the day of fighting, at night, there were still entertainment activities, sometimes passionately singing and dancing, the sound of bombs rang right above the head. People evacuated all, in Tung Luat village there are only holes of bombs, food is not available, the brothers look for old cassava roots and put them in water to soak them, but the cassava is too old, some people cannot eat, so they go out to the bushes to find leaves Boats boiled to eat. The militia brothers said to each other: “Cassava does not make us discouraged / Bom My does not make us discouraged / Together determined to raise the will / Determined to maintain the homeland”. 9 years in the ground The same age as Mr. Kiem, Ms. Le Thi Nhung stayed at this pier from 1966-1975. At that time, the enemy bombarded them so much that there were no trees left to live. You have to dig tunnels. All activities are underground, only when doing new tasks up. Want to bring the soldiers across the river, they had to go at night because the enemy aircraft were in discussions during the day. In the rainy season, the water in the cellar rises and goes up to sleep. In the summer, I get a tennis player to hold the mosquitoes. Ms. Xu and her teammates lived for 9 years in the ground “Once I was sitting in a cellar with two soldiers, an enemy spy plane detected. I told them to run away, but they did not have orders to move and told me to run. About 50 meters away, the bombs fell into the cellar, I have not had time to ask your names and hometowns. When I returned, the shelter was only a deep bomb hole, everything was shattered, ”she said chokedly. Ms. Xu and her teammates lived for 9 years in the earth, rarely seeing the sun. When the country is at peace, they are extremely happy, can go to the ground, sit on the banks of the Ben Hai River peacefully watching the moonlight … Ms. Tran Thi Mao was a member of Tung Luat militia company since 1964 when she was 17 years old. In 1968, she was voted the victorious soldier of the unit, in 1969 she was sent to the Soviet Union to report the heroic Vinh Linh fire land representative on the Moscow radio station. Her family had two younger brothers who died in 1968, 1969 when they brought soldiers across the river … “I still remember the two sisters we were assigned to walk to Vinh Long (about 15 meters from Tung Luat) to download bullets. Up to Mui Lo bridge (Vinh Giang commune) discovered the bridge was destroyed by a large area of ​​bombs, one of our artillery units had to camouflage artillery and tried to cross the bridge. Ms. Tran Thi Mao was a member of Tung Luat militia company since 1964, when she was 17 years old Looking towards the sea, seeing enemy aircraft glancing around, we predicted the possibility that they would be aimed at the artillery unit. The sisters did not know which direction, and kept on straight to Route 1 and ran while the enemy bombs exploded. On the second series of bombardment, a digging bomb fell in the middle of the road, just a few meters away from where the sisters lay. Soil covered our heads, but fortunately we survived. When the bombs stopped falling, the sisters left, continued to take and carry the bullets back to the pier ”. Generations of generations stood shoulder to shoulder, holding paddle across the river From mid-1967 to early 1973, Tung Luat wharf was placed under the direct leadership of Vinh Giang Party Committee and Commune Party Committee. There is a regular militia company of 80 people (up to 111 people at peak), staffed into 4 divisions: a detachment of rowing boat across the river, clearing bombs and mines; Transport and supply for Con Co; Anti-aircraft artillery protection; Digging tunnels, fortifications, trenches, camps, organizing ambulance, moving wounded soldiers, soldiers and gathering goods. The wharf is the shortest road connecting Vinh Linh with the battlefields of Gio Linh, Trieu Phong, Dong Ha … is close to the residential area, the terrain is mixed with low red hills, many trees, advantages for the army. and to gather goods, convenient to transport supplies for Con Co island, so it was chosen by the Vinh Linh Special Zone Military Command as a strategic point. Years passed, the militiamen used to stick here, the survivors and the dead. Living people still have their memories intact Tung Luat wharf, a heroic historical site It is for this reason that Tung Luat pier became the focus of the enemy attack. During the war years, on an area of ​​less than 1,500 square meters of the pier, the enemy mobilized more than 1,200 groups of jet aircraft with more than 3,200 bombings, 7 times using B52 to spread carpet, 3 times to use toxic chemicals. quang, more than 1,500 times of shelling from Con Tien, Doc Mieu … There have been 2-3 generations of families standing shoulder to shoulder, holding and loading bullets. Father fell, son replaced, I sacrificed you had to follow. Just over 6 years, at this wharf, 29 children of Tung Luat fell down, blood and flesh mixed with the river and more than 40 people sent back part of their bodies. Under the rain of bombs, storms and bullets, the youth volunteer force ensured the continuous operation of the wharf to supply the South and the heroic Con Co island. At this wharf from 1968 – 1972, there were more than 78,000 boats returning … Pier B today is peaceful with coconut trees reflecting down the quiet river. The story of the past has become distant, but history is reminded by the golden pages of the deeds of silent heroes. They have dedicated their youthful beauty for this glorious task on this pier.

Integrating the most modern technology, capable of protecting the soldier very well, and equipped with modern weapons, the Ratnik equipment turns ordinary soldiers into scary warriors. The future warrior uniform was developed by the Russian Defense Ministry in the early 2000s to replace the Barmitsa military outfit. Russia for the first time experimented with this uniform in the Syrian battlefield, but in the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, the separatist soldiers also wore military uniforms with almost the same camouflage pattern as Ratnik. The image of Ukraine separatist soldiers wearing military uniforms with the motif of the future Ratnik military outfit. This Ukrainian separatist soldier was also mourned with the armor of the Ratnik armed forces. “Ratnik” includes modules that can be changed according to the operational mission. They consist of about 50 different ingredients and withstand temperatures from -50 to +50 degrees °. However, the separatist soldiers in Ukraine are equipped with only the most basic components including uniforms, armor, bulletproof helmets and leather boots. Modern equipment such as AK-12 assault rifles, A-545, communication systems, electronic communications systems, glasses, knee protection and arm guards and many other components are not allowed. equipping Ukraine’s separatist forces. Equipped with only the most basic of the elements, the Ratnik armament has helped the Ukrainian separatists look modern, and especially has bulletproof armor that will help them survive on the battlefield. The major powers including Russia are racing to research and manufacture a future warrior with requirements such as the best protection for users, integration of modern communication technology as well as goal orientation and excellent combat ability of individual super weapons. The Russian Ratnik futuristic warrior is one of the few best in the world today. Armor on the Ratnik armament makes the Russian soldiers safe from sniper rifles’ armor-piercing bullets. “The latest communication, intelligence, radio and electronic warfare systems, modern guns as well as the Ratnik combat uniform have been tested in action,” said Borisov, Deputy Minister of State. Russian room once said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper. This uniform can safely shield 90% of the soldier’s body, in addition to the equipment on the uniform also helps increase their survivability in fierce battlefields. Key components include bulletproof helmets, glasses, armor, knee and elbow protectors, durable leather shoes with water resistance, electronic equipment for communication and target positioning together. with the latest assault rifles. Although there are about 50 different components, but this outfit is not too heavy, durable and light materials are used. Most notably, the armor weighs 7.5kg, with the ability to protect soldiers against 7.62mm bullets from the SVD sniper rifle shot at a distance of 10m. The neck and shoulders of this bulletproof armor also added extra pads to protect soldiers against shrapnel. Full set of support tools for soldiers on Ratnik equipment, including flashlights, hand shovels and a set of multi-purpose knives … these items are made with special technology and are functional. good while being quite light in weight. Each Ratnik armament is also equipped with specialized electronic devices such as GPS or GLONASS, a high-frequency radio communication system with a separate encoder to increase the security of the communication channel. be changed from 10-30 seconds each time. One of the interesting components of this outfit is a hand-held water filter with the ability to filter up to 15 liters of dirty water into clean water for soldiers to use when needed. The basic weight of the Ratnik armament is only 12kg and up to 20kg, while with the Barmitsa this figure is up to 36kg. The Russian army chooses two new models of assault rifles that will be equipped with the Ratnik in the future, the AK-12 and A-545. The lifespan of each Ratnik suit is 5 years and each soldier can wear it for up to 48 hours. And depending on the requirements each Ratnik equipment quest can be changed. With this uniform, Russian soldiers will increase their combat power to a new level. Currently Russia is continuing to develop upgraded variants of the Ratnik armed forces to further enhance the combat strength of its troops.

Satellite images recorded by the US company Maxar Technologies on March 23 showed that about 220 Chinese ships anchored near Ba Dau rock in Sinh Ton cluster, infringing upon Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Spratly archipelago. (Source: Getty Images) “Prelude” smooth? The incident of hundreds of Chinese ships gathered in Ba Dau Stone has been attracting the attention of domestic and international public opinion today, especially on China’s intentional motives. Philippine officials and scholars warn, this is a sign that China may be taking on new attempts in the South China Sea, possibly leading to the occupation of this rocky beach as it did with Hoang Nham in 2012. Former judge Antonio De Carpio said that the hundreds of fishing vessels gathered at Ba Dau Stone is likely to be “prelude” for China to occupy this beach as what Beijing did with the Ring Stone in 1995. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien affirmed that Chinese ships are only on this rocky beach to avoid bad weather, and this is a normal practice that has taken place for a long time. China. This spokesman also said that the Philippines calling the ships above as civilian fishing ships was not true. Meanwhile, scholars Andrew Erickson and Ryan Martinson of the US Naval War College analyzed AIS satellite data to prove that there are at least seven of the ships operating in the Sinh Ton island cluster, with the number the branding of each ship is clear, belonging to China’s “armed militia at sea” force. Besides, the group of ships here does not show that these are normal fishing vessels. Regarding the activities of Chinese fishing vessels in the South China Sea at Ba Dau Rock in the Spratly Islands of Vietnam, at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 8, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said : It is necessary to reiterate that Vietnam has full historical evidence and legal basis asserting sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, in accordance with international law, as well as sovereignty, sovereignty right, jurisdiction over the relevant waters in the South China Sea, established in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. All forms of propaganda and promotion of contents contrary to historical truth and international law is invalid, can not change the reality of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, as well as the reality of the South China Sea issue. China is against the law of nature Through analyzing satellite image data, observers said, there are at least 3 reasons to believe that the gathering of hundreds of Chinese ships in Ba Dau Stone is not the purpose of avoiding bad weather, and this is also not a long-standing custom of Chinese fishing vessels. first , satellite image data taken from Ba Dau Stone from 2016 up to now shows that hundreds of Chinese ships gathered at Da Ba Dau is a phenomenon that has only started to appear from February 2020. In previous years, Chinese fishing vessels had been anchored sporadically at Da Ba Dau but usually no more than 20 ships, and the ships had never been reassembled into such large structures. Monday According to satellite image data, the phenomenon of China massaging ships and boats mounted into structures at Ba Dau Stone since the beginning of 2020 has lasted for weeks or even months. Such a long gathering period was clearly not meant to avoid bad weather. Moreover, the mass gathering of ships only occurs at Da Ba Dau, while around the Sinh Ton island cluster there are many natural structures, also suitable for ships anchored to avoid weather. bad, but there were almost no ships anchored or sheltered there. Tuesday March and April each year is the quietest time of the year in the Trường Sa area of ​​the year. Vietnamese folk have a saying: “In March, the old woman goes to the sea”, this time is the calm sea season, even the old woman can go to the sea, so ships all choose this time to go fishing. The fact that China used the reasons for bad weather shelter is not only inconsistent with the satellite image data obtained, but also contrary to the natural laws of the area. New salami slicing strategy So what does China mean by gathering hundreds of fishing boats at Ba Dau Rock, with the number of years after the year being much higher than the previous year, as satellite image data shows? Maybe China’s goal is to establish a regular, large-scale presence in the Ba Dau Stone, turn this presence into a “normal” thing, gradually move towards fully taking control and possibly Illegally building and renovating this stone into a new military facility. This will be China’s new salami-sand tactic to effectively expand control of the South China Sea. It is likely that this tactic will use a large number of ships gathered in an area to obstruct the activities of countries, and at the same time, these ships can spread, encircle, harass or impede operations. of other countries in different structures. Professor Alexander L. Vuving of the Center for Asia-Pacific Security Research in Honolulu, USA, said that China may be using a tactic as used in Scarborough Shoal, to blatantly gain control. in the field at Ba Dau rock which has a strategic location. Beijing tried to take the stone in the 1990s, he warns, but with no success, but this time it may be different. Alexander reiterates that Vietnam was the first party to speak out about the Three Heads Stone, opposing China allowing troops to land on that entity in 1992, so China may have changed its tactics. It is also possible that another goal of China is to gather a large number of militia ships here to deter countries in the region during the sea season of fishermen, which is also the season when countries in the region deploy activities. oil and gas exploitation activities. Meanwhile, Grigory Lokshin, a Russian expert on the South China Sea, said that there is no doubt that this is a Chinese political action in response to the meeting of the new Quartet in Tokyo in March. by. And former director of the China Maritime Research Institute at the University of Maritime Warfare Peter Dutton said that Beijing is pressuring US allies in the South China Sea to send the implicit message: “China is strong and will do what Beijing wants, if needed, regardless of previous laws or commitments. Whatever the reason and the motive, China’s gathering of large numbers of ships in the Ba Dau Stone has once again raised concerns about China’s intentional goal in the region, undermining strategic confidence in when the region needs cooperation in economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic. This action is also unlikely to be considered a goodwill act in the context of ASEAN and China working to revive the negotiation process of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). This behavior also violates the spirit of the Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea (DOC), violates the principle of restraint not complicating the already increasingly complicated situation here, is the main cause of public opinion in the region. and international concerns and criticisms of China over the past time. (According to South China Sea Research)

Chinese fleets are lined up at the Ba Dau Rock area in the South China Sea. Photo: CNN

Two weeks later, more than 40 Chinese ships remained in the Ba Dau Stone and the statements became more concise. The Philippine Foreign Ministry on April 12 warned China that Manila would issue daily protest diplomatic notes as long as the mainland’s “marine militia” remained in the area. The Philippines authorities have used a phrase similar to the US way of describing the Chinese fleet.

Bloomberg quoted Carl Schuster, former director of missions at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center as commenting: “If your goal is to capture an ocean and atoll, without fighting, this is an excellent dishonesty tactic. Only professional seafarers knew it was a lie. No one allowed their ships to ‘shelter’ in the hurricane zone several weeks before a storm. If they were really commercial ships, it would cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a day to lay these ships idle side by side.

Analysts Andreo Calonzo and Philip Heijmans said Beijing appears to be probing whether the new US President Joe Biden will take any action after pledging to shake hands with allies in the region to prevent Chinese assertiveness or not. Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin blamed the Obama administration for failing to stop Beijing in a similar incident in 2012 at Scarborough Shoal.

“This is a test of what the Biden administration is willing to do. The way the US responds will determine the next challenge. For now, everything we (the US) have done is more eloquent than substantive, ”said Schuster, currently professor in military science and diplomacy at the University of Hawaii Pacific. emphasize.

Complex decisions

Last month, the US vowed to stand with the Philippines while accusing China of using “maritime militias to intimidate, provoke and intimidate other countries”. When asked about relations with China at a news conference the same month, President Biden revealed that his administration “would hold China accountable for obeying the rules” in the South China Sea and elsewhere.

Another big problem is how to correct the response. China’s use of commercial fishing vessels resembles a “gray zone” tactic, allowing Beijing to deny that anything is wrong. Sending an aircraft carrier or other warships near the reef risks becoming an overreact, making the United States seem like the aggressor.

On the contrary, doing nothing can give the impression of weakness. Over the past few years, the United States has increased its challenge of China’s sovereignty over the waters, increasing the frequency of free navigation operations around disputed territories. The Biden administration also reaffirmed that the US-Philippines defense treaty covers every attack in the South China Sea, which was made clear under former President Donald Trump after decades of ambiguity.

Another major problem for Mr. Biden is Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, who has weakened the alliance while praising closer ties with Beijing.

According to Rommel Ong, a retired Philippine Navy admiral and now professor at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Management, under President Duterte there will be only very limited options for the Navy. Manila’s response is believed to be limited to sending objectionable diplomatic notes and anti-China statements via social media.

The Philippines’ statement on April 12 used some of the strongest words, including a 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling. The statement also condemns the Chinese Embassy for criticizing the minister. Defense Delfin Lorenzana, who last weekend said the weather was fine and boats had no reason to stay in the Ba Dau Rock area.

Warning

Duterte’s government responded to China’s April 3 statement with a statement that it hopes Filipino officials will “avoid any unprofessional remarks that may add to irrational feelings”. . On April 13, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lap Kien accused the Philippines of violating the United Nations Charter, the Law of the Sea and international law by invoking the 2016 ruling of the United Nations court. But Beijing insisted on rejecting.

Mr. Trieu warned the Philippines should see the situation “objectively and properly, stop exaggerating the problem to avoid any negative effects on the bilateral relationship between the two countries, stability and peace in the country. East Sea”. The Beijing representative also denied that the Chinese ships illegally present in the Ba Dau Rock belonged to the maritime militia.

President Duterte broke his weeks-long silence with an April 13 statement, insisting the dispute would be resolved through “peaceful measures” and would not “shape the relationship. Bilateral”.

“It will not be an obstacle to the positive overall development trajectory of our bilateral friendship,” the Philippine government leader said in the statement, citing increasingly deep cooperation. vaccine against Covid-19 and “economic recovery from the pandemic” between the two sides.

Reputation is compromised

Vaccine access has become a major concern for Mr. Duterte. Manila was shut down again last week as the Philippines faces its worst outbreak and is expecting much of the vaccine supply from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac.

The Philippine President attended a March 29 celebration in which Chinese Ambassador Huang Zilian said the vaccine was a testament to the “closer cooperation in the new era” between the two countries.

Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst at the Institute for Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia, said that this time, Washington was “not so naive” after a failed attempt in 2012 to reach a withdrawal agreement. retreating from Scarborough Shoal “did great damage to American prestige in Southeast Asia”. According to Mr. Lockman, the Biden administration is wary of the danger of sinking into this scenario and not knowing if they will eventually be blamed for escalating the situation, which is quite possible while the Philippines capable of reacting only in a perfunctory way.

US and Philippine soldiers in a “Balikatan” exercise

Attempting to repeat the “gray area” strategy.

The question of where the Chinese marine militia ships have been unusually concentrated since the beginning of March 2021 in the Ba Dau rocky area located in the Sinh Ton Dong island cluster in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam. when the number of more than 200 ships dropped to a few dozen, there was an answer. The latest aerial photographs of the Philippines show that hundreds of Chinese marine militia ships are gathered in Ga Ven rock and Ken Nan rock in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam.

Images taken by satellite Europe and the US, published by the AFP news agency on April 13, also show that China’s marine militia fleet is present in a large number of hundreds of ships in Ga Ven rock. The pictures taken by the Philippine authorities. According to experts, the Chinese maritime militia fleet is no longer crowded and large rafts like Ba Dau rock but radiates, thickens around Ga Ven rocks and Ken Nan rocks of the Spratly Islands of Vietnam. Male.

Previously, from the beginning of March 2021, Philippine officials and photos taken from satellites said that hundreds of Chinese iron-hulled ships were abnormally concentrated in the waters close to Ba Dau rock in Vietnamese territorial waters. The South is in Sinh Ton Dong island cluster, located in Truong Sa archipelago. Subsequent tallys showed that the number of Chinese iron-hull ships was more than 220, many of which were made into large rafts.

The Chinese side justifies that these are fishing boats, concentrated in Ba Dau rock “due to bad weather”. However, Philippine officials immediately rejected when claiming that the weather in this area is very good, moreover, these ships only turn on the lights all night, but absolutely do not have any fishing activities.

Filipino officials confirmed that hundreds of Chinese iron-hull ships gathered in Ba Dau rock since early March were Chinese marine militia ships disguised as fishing ships. Therefore, the fact that hundreds of marine militia ships have aggressive and aggressive acts on Ba Dau Rock has caused regional nations, the international community and analysts alike to think that Beijing is trying. calculated once again the “gray area” tactic for Ba Dau rock, a shallow beach with an area of ​​about 10km belonging to Sinh Ton Dong island cluster in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam.

In a strategy throughout the realization of its sovereignty ambitions in the South China Sea, China has adopted the “gray zone” tactic, using the overwhelming power of a disguised fleet of iron-shell fishing vessels that are essentially marine militia ships with the backing of armed ships to illegally occupy control of entities such as the Philippines-controlled Scaborough Shoal in 2012, the Vanh Khan (about 50 nautical miles from Ba Dau) in the Spratly Islands Vietnam in 1995. Thus, the unusual concentration of hundreds of marine militia ships managed by the Chinese army in the Ba Dau Rock under Vietnam’s legal and undisputed sovereignty has caused experts to accept. China may be contemplating a repeat of a dangerous tactic nine years ago to forcefully capture and control a Scaborough.

This concern is more and more basic when hundreds of ships gathered in Ba Dau rock at the same time and radiated Ga Ven rock and Ken Nan rock of the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam, many armed ships, ships. Chinese heavy warfare is also present in the region for its taciturn backing. Most recently, the combat squadron of the Liaodong carrier of China, after conducting exercises in waters near the island of Taiwan, moved southward into the South China Sea. It is reported that the Shandong aircraft carrier combat squadron, the aircraft carrier built by China, is also present in the South China Sea.

Do not accept ostentation, encroachment in the East Sea

A series of moves that show off China’s military power in the South China Sea are concerned by regional countries, the international community, especially countries with interests attached to this sea area with deep concern. . On April 13, the Philippine Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the country to protest the actions of the Chinese ships at Ba Dau Rock. The Philippine Foreign Ministry earlier also sent a protest note to Beijing, and rejected the Chinese interpretation that disguised iron hulls in Ba Dau rock were just “ordinary fishing boats anchored due to bad weather. “.

At the same time with the strong response through diplomatic channels, the Philippines also took action on the ground to deal with China’s aggressive, aggressive behavior. Most recently, on April 13, the Philippines has deployed 1 more coast guard ship, 4 naval ships and 2 ships of the fisheries protection agency to many Chinese ships that are abnormally concentrated in the South China Sea.

Filipino Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana on April 10 had a phone call with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, to discuss the South China Sea situation and the appearance of hundreds of Chinese marine militia ships in the Ba Rock. Head. During the phone call, Mr. Austin proposed a series of measures to strengthen defense cooperation between the US and the Philippines, including “raising awareness of the situation of threats in the South China Sea”, and the Minister of State. rooms of the two countries share a commitment to maintaining close communication.

Just a day after the phone call, the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) said on April 11 that the joint exercise with the US named Balikatan was resumed and started from April 12. during 2 weeks with the participation of thousands of soldiers from the two countries. The exercise is said to be the cooperation and action of the Philippines and the US in response to a series of provocations by China in the South China Sea.

Previously, when answering questions from reporters about Vietnam’s reaction to many Chinese ships operating at Ba Dau beach in the Spratly archipelago of Vietnam, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed. , the activities of Chinese ships within the territorial sea of ​​Sinh Ton Dong belonging to the Spratlys of Vietnam have violated the sovereignty of Vietnam, violating the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the activities of foreign ships in the territorial sea of ​​a coastal country, contrary to the spirit and content of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), complicates the situation, is not beneficial for the negotiation process of a Code of Conduct between ASEAN and China in the South China Sea (COC).

The spokesperson stressed that Vietnam asked China to stop its infringement; respect for the sovereignty of Vietnam; goodwill to implement UNCLOS; strictly comply with the DOC, especially the obligation to restrain, not complicate the situation; create a favorable environment for the COC negotiation process; contribute to maintaining peace, security, stability and legal order at sea in the region.