Strategic interests at Cam Ranh Bay

Robert Karniol
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 01-08-2011

Increasingly concerned about Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea, Vietnam is at an advanced stage of talks aimed at opening foreign military access to its deep-water port at Cam Ranh Bay. The key options involve Russia and the United States, with Hanoi seeming to favour Washington's bid. "Vietnam was previously trying to privatise Cam Ranh Bay but two or three months ago stopped all commercial development and intends to reverse the work done to establish shrimp farms and other projects," said a source in Hanoi, who cannot be named. "They want a continuous foreign military presence there." The security initiative is not new, as Vietnam has previously acknowledged that port development would reopen access to foreign navies. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announced last October that this would be preceded by a three-year upgrade supported by Russian consultants. The proposed scale of any foreign military presence now appears more ambitious than previously indicated. At the same time, strategic interests have overshadowed the commercial imperatives that once dominated Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay planning. "They need some foreign backing against China and want this as soon as possible," the Hanoi-based source explained. Cam Ranh Bay may well be the best natural harbour in South-east Asia. It was used extensively by Russian and US military forces and others before them, but Moscow ended its presence there in 2002 due to an increased leasing cost. Vietnam and China have a long-standing dispute over the Paracel and Spratly island chains and related exclusive economic zones spanning much of the South China Sea, with four other claimants less vigorously involved in whole or in part. Beijing has grown ever more belligerent in supporting its position. Hanoi sought to diplomatically counter Beijing's stance on the issue during its Asean chairmanship last year, and saw a significant nod of support from Washington. But defence ties between the US and Vietnam have advanced more cautiously than other aspects of their bilateral relationship, which was normalised only in 1995. Vietnam in 2003 hosted its first US naval port call since the Second Indochina War ended in 1975. Perhaps more tangibly, two US Navy military sealift command ships have so far undergone voyage repairs in Vietnam: USNS Safeguard at Saigon Shipyard in 2009 and USNS Richard E. Byrd at Cam Ranh Shipyard early last year. Washington has in recent years proposed access for its naval vessels to Cam Ranh Bay as part of its "places not bases" strategy, but Hanoi was initially reticent. The "places not bases" concept aims to replace permanent overseas military facilities with assured access for repairs, replenishment and similar activities in support of America's forward deployed military platforms and personnel. Strategic concerns have since prompted Hanoi to overcome this earlier hesitation and it has embraced the proposal, which sources say was prominently pursued at the fourth bilateral Political, Security and Defence Dialogue held in Washington on June 17. These negotiations with Washington, and a parallel set under way with Moscow, are said by the Hanoi-based source to be "very advanced". But it is unclear if an agreement with one would preclude any access for the other. "The United States and Vietnam continue to develop a robust bilateral defence relationship, rooted in mutual trust and respect. Our navy-to-navy exchanges continue to enhance our overall bilateral defence relationship... (and) we continue to work with our Vietnamese friends to expand our cooperation," commented Commander Leslie Hull-Ryde, a US Pentagon official. "Vietnam decided to open Cam Ranh Bay as an international logistics hub, and we hope to continue to engage Vietnam to learn how this decision will potentially enhance our bilateral cooperation." But the Hanoi-based source suggests that Vietnam is looking for a more emphatic foreign military presence than the one this statement indicates. "Regarding our strategy," Commander Hull-Ryde continued, "the United States is seeking to develop a posture in Asia that is geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable. "We seek to maintain our presence in North-east Asia while enhancing our presence in South and South-east Asia. We believe that capitalising on near-term opportunities opens the door to greater regional engagement over the long term." The US Navy's most recent visit was to Danang, with a seven-day programme of activities undertaken last month involving two guided missile destroyers and a rescue/salvage ship. Three Russian warships called on the same port in May, stopping over on their way back to Vladivostok following an anti-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa. Vietnam, with its sorry history, has for some time followed a strategic policy centred on "three nays": no foreign bases, no formal military alliances and no use of Vietnamese soil to attack another country. Now, China's posture on the South China Sea could temper with this thinking.