AUGUST 1, 2019
Two sides will sign a new defense agreement on August 5, opening the way for stronger strategic cooperation including in the South China Sea
By DAVID HUTT
On August 5, the European Union’s (EU) chief diplomat Federica Mogherini will sign a new defense agreement with Vietnam, the first such security deal Brussels will have with a Southeast Asian nation.
It is the latest indication that the EU is trying to forge a closer defense relationship with the region and Vietnam in particular, which is at the heart of disputes with China in the South China Sea.
Welcoming foreign investments, economists have once again warned about the negative impact that Chinese investments have had on Vietnam’s economy.
A Vietnamese soldier next to a hazardous warning sign for dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa air base last October. 
Đọt Chuối Non 