RP and China appeased Vietnam by letting it in on the deal. A sequel “Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Scientific Research in Certain Areas in South China Sea” was signed on Mar. 14, 2005. Then-Speaker Jose de Venecia witnessed the event in a Makati hotel, along with then-Energy Sec. Vince Perez, Foreign Undersecretary Sonia Brady, Chinese ambassador Wu Hongbo, and Vietnamese ambassador Dinh Tich.
Strategic ang lokasyon ng base, kaya pakiwari ng military analysts ay igigiit ng China sa dahas ang claim nito sa Paracels at Spratlys, na buo o bahaging inaangkin din ng Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, at Pilipinas. Palalawakin din ng China ang saklaw sa South China Sea ng kanyang pinalalaking navy, na dati’y nakasiksik lang sa mainland base sa Yulin.