ABSTRACT
In the mid-2000s, while the world hailed Beijing’s message of “peaceful development,” Hanoi increasingly felt resentful of what they called China’s unlawful claim and assertive behaviour in the South China Sea. Nationalist elites in Vietnam believed that China deliberately used its military and economic might to thwart Vietnam’s legitimate maritime rights. Even worse, Vietnam was basically left alone in front of China’s realpolitik spearhead. As the appeal to socialist solidarity fell on China’s deaf ears, the political elites gradually forged a consensus on more nationalist approach to the South China Sea dispute to refute China’s claims and actions and mobilise domestic and international support to defend its case in the South China Sea. The year 2009 proved to be a turning point as the South China Sea started capturing international headlines after Chinese fi shing and paramilitary ships’ harassment of the US Navy ship, the USNS Impeccable , in March 2009. The incident was portrayed as the sign of increased geopolitical rivalry between rising China and the United States for primacy in the Asia-Pacifi c region. Hanoi noticeably seized such an opportunity to internationalise the South China Sea issue with hope that greater involvement of external powers and international scrutiny would force China to match its actions with its words.
