The White Paper released Tuesday is only the third since 1998 and for the first time included details of the communist nation's military budget and armed forces strength, said Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, deputy minister of defence.

Asked about tensions in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, Vinh said: "This is a matter of concern to the Vietnamese national defence but the complications over the East Sea will not lead to conflicts".

A long-standing dispute between China and Vietnam over ownership of the Paracels and a more southerly archipelago, the Spratleys, escalated earlier this year.

Vietnam said fishing boats and their crew had been seized, and fishermen reported seeing an increasing number of armed Chinese patrol ships in disputed waters.

Legislators last month approved a law to establish a marine militia to protect the communist country's maritime sovereignty.

Vinh said that although the South China Sea issue is a matter of concern, international law provides a basis for a resolution.

"As a party to the disputes over the East Sea it is the policy of our party, state and the Vietnamese national defence to ensure that all will be settled through peaceful means," he told an audience that included journalists, foreign military attaches and other diplomats.

Vinh said Vietnam's "peaceful and self-defence" policy has not changed from earlier White Papers, and the country is seeking to step up its international security cooperation to help build regional stability.

But he said Vietnam faces a challenge "from the hostile forces who are using such matters as democracy and human rights to destabilise our country."

Vietnam provoked international criticism this year by arresting bloggers and a prominent human rights lawyer, while jailing several dissidents.

The White Paper said Vietnam's defence budget in 2008, the latest year given, was 27 trillion dong (1.4 billion dollars), or 1.8 percent of gross domestic product.

It said the armed services, known as the Vietnam People's Army, have 450,000 active personnel and a reserve of five million in a nation of about 86 million people.

The White Paper also said the armed forces operate 98 businesses including flight and seaport services, telecommunications and shipbuilding.

Since the first White Paper, which lacked such details, Vietnam has in recent years sought a higher international profile.

Vinh said the latest document aims to "enhance understanding and trust" with the international community.

But at the press conference Vinh was vague when asked for details about weapons procurement to modernise its ageing arsenal.

Russian media reported earlier this year that Vietnam had ordered several SU-30MK2 fighter jets and was to sign a deal for submarines.

Vietnam has used "a significant volume of Russian weapons" both in war and peace, Vinh said, but to modernise the military it is considering many sources including Russia.

He did not answer a question about what major items could be purchased.

Vietnam, a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is training its military personnel for UN peacekeeping missions, the White Paper said.

When conditions are right, "I think we'll participate," Vinh said.

Vietnam's military, established 65 years ago, defeated both French colonialist and American forces during decades of war.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News