Vietnam and Russia cooperate on South China Sea research
Vietnam and Russia cooperate on South China Sea research
HANOI (AFP): Vietnam is to cooperate with Russian scientists to survey areas of the country's continental shelf and to gather data on weather in the South China Sea, an official said yesterday.
Six projects are planned for 1995, an official from the Vietnam Hydroemeteorological Institute said, adding that financial problems had any prevented any getting underway yet.
The two countries have frequently worked together on scientific and meteorological projects in the South China Sea, which includes areas claimed by several countries in the region.
"Hopefully, we will start the main project to investigate and survey Vietnam's sea and continental shelf soon," the official added. "This project requires US$100,000-$200,000 in 1995."
Research will focus on Vietnam's continental shelf, the official said. He did not give any details on whether it would include work in disputed areas.
Russia has also promised support for two weather radar stations that monitor the typhoons that plague the north and center of the country which has suffered frequent flooding and devastation, the official said.
China claims as its sovereign territory a large swathe of the South China Sea -- known in Vietnam as the East Sea. Vietnam and other claimants dispute that China has any right to the area which stretches down towards Indonesia.
Beijing's claim even runs onto Vietnam's continental shelf, a point that has angered Hanoi which insists its claim to this area is based in international law and has nothing to do with the wider dispute over the Spratly Islands.
The Philippines, which claims some of the Spratly atolls near its territory, has been engaged in a row with China over structures built on the reef and markers placed on islands by Chinese troops.
Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei claim at least some of the Spratly Islands, which are scattered over a large area of ocean crossed by vital shipping lanes.
There have been suggestions that the area may be rich in petroleum and gas but so far very little oil survey work has been done there.