CSIS
Southeast Asia from Scott Circle – May 28

Senior Vietnamese and Chinese defense officials held their second border exchange at the ministerial level along the shared China-Vietnam border from May 15 to 18. The two countries’ border guards conducted a joint patrol on the Vietnamese side of the Hekou border crossing and held talks on security issues in Mengzi City in Yunnan Province. The exchange was an effort to build confidence amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

CSIS
Southeast Asia from Scott Circle – May 28

Vietnamese defense minister Phung Quang Thanh and his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar, on May 25 signed a five-year joint vision statement on bilateral defense cooperation during Thanh’s visit to New Delhi. During Thanh’s visit, the Indian and Vietnamese coast guards also signed a memorandum of understanding to advance cooperation, according to the Vietnamese government. The two countries have sought to strengthen their defense ties, especially in the maritime sector, in the wake of China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.