From: nguyen@airmics.gatech.edu (Son Nguyen)
Subject: Re: Spartlys islands
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Reply-To: nguyen@airmics.gatech.edu
Organization: N/A
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 13:02:57 GMT

 > |>According to U.S. News & World Report, Mar 9, 92:
 > |>
 > |>"So far, Chinese plans flying to the Spratlys from Hainan Province have
 > |>been able to fly over the islands for just five to 10 minutes." That
 > |>means they got to go back Hainan for refueling after 5-10 minutes
 > |>fighting/bombing.  Normally, bombers don't need more time than that.
 > 
 > Chinese jets can fly 1000 miles (actually 950 miles) in 5-10 minutes? What kind of
 > secret weapon is that? A jet of MACH 10? I think that American and Russian
 > Air Forces are in trouble, not just Vietnamese's. :-)
 > 

NO.  What they meant is after the plans have arrived, these plans still
have 5-10 minutes flying over the Spratly area before they got to come
back Hainan for more fuel.

If you have time, read this article.  They explained how the Chinese
plans flew over the islands from Hainan and dropped stones marked the
name of Hainan people to indicate that these islands belong to Hainan
people.

 > BTW, thank anh So*n for information. Either it is a US News' mistake or my knowledge 
 > is badly out of shape. I just remembered a headline news in Saigon after China invaded 
 > the Paracels in 1974. US decided to aid the Republic of Vietnam 25 F5-E jets in helping 
 > to defend the Spartlys. It takes 30 minutes to fly from Bien Hoa to the Spartlys.
 > 

At that time, their Navy ships were already equipped with radar and
missiles, i.e., they don't need to see a target (line of sight) before
they can fire.  Our Navy ships (I mean VNCH) were equipped with small
cannons, but no radar or missiles.  We got blown up before seeing them.
 > 
 > I still have a vivid memory of the battle of the Paracels. The cruiser
 > Ly Thuong Kiet of Vietnam was sank by smaller Chinese destroyers that
 > were equipped with missiles. So this time around, bomb or torperdo them :-)
 > Just hope those pilots have enough gas to return home.
 > 
 > Seriously, if a war between VN and China occurs both countries will be
 > the losers. They currently have  one of the lowest GDP per capita in the
 > area. War and military expense wouldn't help to improve it.
 > 
Vietnam will be the big looser, but I don't believe Chinese will be.
If the war occurs, I believe the Chinese will win easily, and they will
have control over the entire China sea.  They will get the best
strategic location in the area.  They will exploit many oceanic
resoures:  oil, fishery, foods, waterway, etc.

If VN looses, VN will have nothing left besides the beach and a few
miles off shore.  It is disastrous.

Here is my opinion:  Uncle Ho said before he died, "Because we're a
small country, we got to belong to (well, I take it back because
`kho^ng gi` qui' ba<`ng ddo^.c la^.p va` tu+. ro.'), we got to depend
on someone, or have somebody sponsor us (sounds better that way?).
China is too close to confort, and besides we knew how bad they are.
The only choice we got now is Soviet.  So comrades, you know what I
mean."  And he exhaled the last breath.

If the VN government has a little brain, it should beg the U.S. to go
back VN without any condition.  It should resign or change to a
democracy government.  It should let the country start to improve and
enrich.  It got nothing left to grasp, but loosing.  It's late, but
still not too late.

 > Generally, We Vietnamese don't like the idea that Chinese army marches into Hanoi.
 > particularly, we shouldn't compare Vietnam with "the dog," should we? 
 > 
You should understand what I meant the term "Vietnam" here.  When we
say Vietnam invaded Campuchia, does it mean the Vietnamese people or
the government?  Even the Campuchians are always blaming on every
Vietnamese because they don't understand that the VN government doesn't
come from its people.  The VN people are also the VN government's
victims.

If you read the news, people say, "Vietnam has signed a treaty, an
agreement with Chinese," you should understand that they meant the
governments.

Now you know what I meant who is "the dog" here.

 > Tha^n,
 > Quang Le
 > 

So+n Nguye^~n
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese