The sale of arms, Obama said, would depend on Vietnam's human rights commitments, and would be made on a case-by-case basis. The decision to lift the arms ban from Vietnam highlights the combined concern of the countries about China's growing military clout. China sees US support for rival South China Sea claimants Vietnam and the Philippines as interference and an attempt to establish hegemony in the region. Vietnam, a neighbour of China, is a key part of that strategy amid worries about Beijing's assertiveness and sovereignty claims to 80 percent of the South China Sea. On the other hand, the lifting of the embargo will provide Vietnam with leverage in future arms deals with those suppliers.

Source: dna May 23, 2016 07:31 UTC