The United States has announced its decision to provide Vietnam with an additional coast guard ship to boost Hanoi's ability to patrol the South China Sea amid tensions with China.
"China's unilateral efforts to assert illegitimate maritime claims threaten other nations' access to vital natural resources, undermine the stability of regional energy markets," US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a speech on Wednesday to students at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.
In the speech, Esper went on to claim that Beijing was "bullying" its smaller neighbors, like Vietnam.
Esper warned the diplomat students that Beijing's efforts to seize the disputed territories in the region would "increase the risk of conflict".
"Collectively, we must stand up against coercion and intimidation, protect the rights of all nations, big and small," Esper had said earlier at Vietnam's defense ministry.
The United States accuses China of militarizing the South China Sea and trying to intimidate Asian neighbors that might want to exploit its extensive oil and gas reserves.
Meanwhile, the coast guard cutter vowed to Vietnam will be a vessel from the US Coast Guard, which just two years ago transferred a Hamilton-class cutter to the country.
In April, the United States delivered six patrol boats worth $12 million to Vietnam's Coast Guard. Those vessels were in addition to another twelve "Metal Shark" patrol boats it provided to Vietnam in the last two years.
By providing the vessels, the US aims to enable Vietnam to assert its sovereignty in the region.
China claims most of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea. Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also lay claim to parts of it.
Hello, my name is Godwin Brain. I'm an ICT Analyst, blogger, web-designer and a writer. 
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