Chinese officials in Beijing are warning against any joint military patrols or exercises between Vietnam and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea.
Vietnam and Philippines military officials have discussed conducting joint exercises in the disputed region in meetings earlier this month. The exercises could include joint patrols of the Spratly Islands, which both countries and China claim as their own.
Neighbors of China will be willing to cooperate with each other despite the power imbalance between them and China as long as those neighbors have some confidence that China will be cautious with America hovering nearby.
Breaking that confidence is stupid.
