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.