U.S. President Barack Obama’s landmark trip to Vietnam should bring calm and refrain from being preceded by provocation amid maritime tensions in the South China Sea, analysts say.
A report from China Daily posted on ECNS said that some analysts urged Washington to refrain from making any provocative moves or statements on Monday.
Reports said that the trip will focus on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Deal (TPP) and the trade embargo that prohibits Washington from selling arms to Hanoi.
Analysts' Opinion
Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, believes that it would be for the benefit of everybody if the United States did not do anything to harm the interests of other countries in the region.
"It's a kind of farewell tour for Obama, who expects to enhance his diplomatic legacy during the visit," he stated.
Canrong's warning on the 'interests of other countries' might be a reference to the U.S.'s latest plan to lift the restrictions on arms sales to Hanoi.
Meanwhile, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations Vice President Fu Mengzi said it would be better if the U.S. did not "hype up" the upcoming ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the unilateral arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China.
In both statements, it appears as though analysts want Washington to try not to provoke Beijing into a conflict by using the smaller Asian countries who also claim sovereignty over some of the territories in the South China Sea.
Obama's Trip
Many are speculating that there are some underlying goals for his trip to Hanoi, but Obama's visit to Vietnam appears to be focused on the trade embargo on arms and the establishment of a 12-country focal point for his Asia-Pacific policy.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Obama decided to lift the decade-long trade restrictions on the sale of arms to Vietnam, which definitely pleased its leaders.
"Vietnam views the move as a way to finally put relations between the two former adversaries on a more equal footing and build on other diplomatic moves," the outlet stated.
However, Obama clarified that the U.S. will remain strict in regulating applications to acquire American weapons and surveillance equipment.
In terms of the TPP, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said that Obama would be ensuring that it would benefit both Washington and Hanoi since it will open the Vietnamese market to American businesses with high tariffs for beef and vehicles.