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Vietnamese Workers Alarmed Over Uncontrolled Flow of Chinese
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Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (CHALCO)
Faced with increased lay offs and closure of industries, Vietnamese workers raised a panic alarm over uncontrolled flow of Chinese workers and equipment into the country. Many of the contracts for new projects have been awarded to Chinese companies in the past few years and these companies are bringing in their own workers and equipment from China.
The worst hit are reported to be construction workers as several projects in power generation, cement production and real estate have been bagged by the Chinese conglomerates.
The Chinese companies are flouting visa and immigration regulations as they are bringing workers from their country on tourist visas and then engage them in their business activities. These are in addition to workers who have been officially allowed contractually to be engaged from China.
The Vietnamese workers also complained that the Chinese contractors also import equipment although the same is already available in the country forcing the local industry to close down due to lack of orders.
According to official statistics, there are only about 7,000 Chinese workers in major cities, but unofficial accounts put the number at almost 50,000, which is a large number compared to small population of Vietnam.
These Chinese workers have also become a law and order problem for local security. In December last, the Vietnamese government registered an official protest with Beijing against activities of Chinese nationals in Ho Chi Minh City and Honoi. The Chinese workers and students organized demonstrations in these cities against economic activities of Taiwanese and Japanese companies in Vietnam. Local security authorities reported that these demonstrations were instigated by the Chinese embassy.
The number of Chinese workers, both legal and illegal, is likely to increase manifold as the Chinese bagged contracts to develop bauxite mines in central highlights region, estimated to be the third largest in the world.
The recent agreement, signed between Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (CHALCO) and Vietnam Coal and Mining Industry Group, is resented by workers, war veterans and scientists.
This is likely to snow ball into a major crisis as anti-government sentiment is brewing among restive surplus local workers, who have lost jobs. War veterans fear that Chinese intelligence operatives may use their companies to sneak into the country to monitor political and security situation and sabotage any local opposition to Chinese encroachments.
Vietnamese security authorities have expressed concern over Chinese activities and its intolerant attitude toward presence of other foreign vessels in the South China Sea region. Its domination in and around disputed Paracel and Spratly Islands and its unilateral exploration activities unnerved Vietnam. A Chinese patrol ship Yuizheng 311, in charge of China’s maritime patrols, has increased patrolling since past few months.
The recent spat between China and the US following engagement of vessels of their navies in the South China Sea is seen as a welcome step by Vietnamese leadership since it has brought international focus on China’s readiness to demonstrate its military might to browbeat its smaller neighbors in the region.
A blog on the website of ‘Global Times”, a supplement to the official ‘People’s Daily’, which projects official point of view, defended China developing a chain of naval and defence facilities to protect its south eastern seaboard. It suggested the construction of a chain of naval facilities, including at Hainan island, to serve as an ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’, while calling for necessary steps to ensure the recovery of all South China Sea islands and defending China’s maritime territory and resources.
The Chinese naval presence in the South China Sea region was recently strengthened by deployment of five naval vessels and two submarines
Recent developments have proved that China is now determined to extend its control, even forcefully, over the area. A Norwegian oil exploration vessel hired by the Vietnamese was intercepted and ordered by the Chinese navy to leave the area. Earlier, US based Exxon-Mobil company was threatened by the Chinese to terminate its joint oil exploration contract with Petro-Vietnam.
The worst hit are reported to be construction workers as several projects in power generation, cement production and real estate have been bagged by the Chinese conglomerates.
The Chinese companies are flouting visa and immigration regulations as they are bringing workers from their country on tourist visas and then engage them in their business activities. These are in addition to workers who have been officially allowed contractually to be engaged from China.
The Vietnamese workers also complained that the Chinese contractors also import equipment although the same is already available in the country forcing the local industry to close down due to lack of orders.
According to official statistics, there are only about 7,000 Chinese workers in major cities, but unofficial accounts put the number at almost 50,000, which is a large number compared to small population of Vietnam.
These Chinese workers have also become a law and order problem for local security. In December last, the Vietnamese government registered an official protest with Beijing against activities of Chinese nationals in Ho Chi Minh City and Honoi. The Chinese workers and students organized demonstrations in these cities against economic activities of Taiwanese and Japanese companies in Vietnam. Local security authorities reported that these demonstrations were instigated by the Chinese embassy.
The number of Chinese workers, both legal and illegal, is likely to increase manifold as the Chinese bagged contracts to develop bauxite mines in central highlights region, estimated to be the third largest in the world.
The recent agreement, signed between Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (CHALCO) and Vietnam Coal and Mining Industry Group, is resented by workers, war veterans and scientists.
This is likely to snow ball into a major crisis as anti-government sentiment is brewing among restive surplus local workers, who have lost jobs. War veterans fear that Chinese intelligence operatives may use their companies to sneak into the country to monitor political and security situation and sabotage any local opposition to Chinese encroachments.
Vietnamese security authorities have expressed concern over Chinese activities and its intolerant attitude toward presence of other foreign vessels in the South China Sea region. Its domination in and around disputed Paracel and Spratly Islands and its unilateral exploration activities unnerved Vietnam. A Chinese patrol ship Yuizheng 311, in charge of China’s maritime patrols, has increased patrolling since past few months.
The recent spat between China and the US following engagement of vessels of their navies in the South China Sea is seen as a welcome step by Vietnamese leadership since it has brought international focus on China’s readiness to demonstrate its military might to browbeat its smaller neighbors in the region.
A blog on the website of ‘Global Times”, a supplement to the official ‘People’s Daily’, which projects official point of view, defended China developing a chain of naval and defence facilities to protect its south eastern seaboard. It suggested the construction of a chain of naval facilities, including at Hainan island, to serve as an ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’, while calling for necessary steps to ensure the recovery of all South China Sea islands and defending China’s maritime territory and resources.
The Chinese naval presence in the South China Sea region was recently strengthened by deployment of five naval vessels and two submarines
Recent developments have proved that China is now determined to extend its control, even forcefully, over the area. A Norwegian oil exploration vessel hired by the Vietnamese was intercepted and ordered by the Chinese navy to leave the area. Earlier, US based Exxon-Mobil company was threatened by the Chinese to terminate its joint oil exploration contract with Petro-Vietnam.
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