From: quangl@tabasco.sps.mot.com (Quang Le)
Subject: Re: Spartlys islands
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Reply-To: quangl@tabasco.sps.mot.com
Organization: N/A
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 07:55:28 GMT

|> > In article <1992Jul27.144535.13862@news.media.mit.edu> quangl@tabasco.sps.mot.
|> > com (Quang Le) wrote:
|> > 
|> > |>   Have not heard of before.  Maybe you have mistaken it for another island
|> > |>   which is much closer to Malaysia.   About the landing strip, China is
|> >                                                                   ^^^^^^^^
|> > |>   currently building (or have built) an airfield in another island group
|> >      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> > |>   just north of Spratley.  That island group was taken from from Vietnam
|> >      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> > |>   over a crash with the vietnames forces.
|> > |>
|> > 
|> > >Vietnam and Taiwan each already have a landing strip, but only for small aircrafts.
|> > >In case of war, only Vietnam have capability to bombard the area with bombers
|> > >and fighters from Bien Hoa airbase, 400 miles away. Without a carrier, China
|> >                                                                         ^^^^^
|> > >could
|> > >^^^^^
|> > >not deliver their aircrafts to the area about 1000 miles from Hainan. They
|> >  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> > > didn't  
|> > 
|> > >have know-how in in-flight refill either. But as soon as a war breaks out, oil
|> > >companies currently doing off-shore exploration will pull out of the area. Vietnamese
|> > >economy will be hurt badly. That is why Vietnam tried to avoid a war as much as 
|> > >she could. 
|> > >
|> > >Regards,
|> > >Quang Le
|> > 
|> > 
|> > Yes, Quang, that is true. However, according to Won Soon's post, China has been
|> > building an airstrip at the Paracels, the islands they took by force from the
|> > Vietnamese in 1974,  which lie between the Hainan Island and the Spratlys. So
|> > they are getting closer...
|> > 
|> > Vietanh Nguyen
|> > 
|>
|>
|>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. :-)

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.

|>
|>Militarily, there is no match between China and Vietnam.  Here is the
|>comparison:
|>
|>	  
|>	 Active Personnel  Combat Aircraft  Battle Tank  Capital Ship
|>---------------------------------------------------------------------
|>China      +3 millions	      5,850          7500           148
|>
|>Vietnam     1 millions          185          1750             7
|>
|>---------------------------------------------------------------------
|>
|>Besides, China is a self-supported country, i.e., they can build their
|>own weapons and sell to other countries like silkworm missiles to
|>Iran.  They got their own atomic bombs. Their ships are more
|>modernized, equipped with radars and missiles.  Vietnam ship has
|>nothing besides machine guns.

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 nowadays is even weaker since the fall of the Soviet Union.
|>China did give Vietnam a lesson (around 1979, I believe).  That was a
|>slight one.  DDa'nh cho' nhu+ng va^~n co`n ne^? ma<.t chu? (Soviet).
|>Today, the dog no longer got a master.  Vietnam cannot stand another
|>blow given by the Chinese.

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? 

Tha^n,
Quang Le

|>
|>The best way for VN to do right now is team up with the ASEAN countries
|>and bring the issue to the U.N. and beg the U.S. for help.
|>
|>Good day,
|>
|>So+n Nguye^~n
|>
|>


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