Vietnam says no to foreign military base on its soil

Vietnam says no to foreign military base on its soil
October 13, 2016

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam said on Thursday it would not allow other
countries to set up military bases there, just days after Russia said it
was considering reopening Soviet-era bases in Vietnam and Cuba.

Russian news agencies last week quoted a Russian deputy defense minister
as saying Russia was considering plans to restore the bases that had
served as pivots for Soviet global military power during the Cold War.

"Vietnam's consistent policy is not to engage a military ally or engage
with any country to oppose a third country," Foreign Ministry spokesman
Le Hai Binh told a news briefing.

"We will also not allow any other countries to set up a military base in
Vietnam."

While pursuing a neutral foreign policy to befriend many countries and
allowing port calls by foreign warships, Vietnam still bars any
permanent presence by foreign military forces.

Russia, which inherits a long relationship with Vietnam, withdrew from
the deepwater Cam Ranh naval base in the early 2000s as part of its
drawing down of military presence around the world after the demise of
the Soviet Union.

Cam Ranh is the jewel in the crown of Vietnam's military, with an air
base once used by the U.S. and Soviet forces and a deep water bay home
to its modern, Russian-built submarines.

Visits by foreign ships are rare and usually restricted to maintenance.
U.S., Japanese and French warships have recently made port calls at Cam
Ranh.

(Reporting by My Pham; Editing by Ho Binh Minh)

Source: Vietnam says no to foreign military base on its soil -
https://www.yahoo.com/news/vietnam-says-no-foreign-military-soil-103246624.html