T

he violent anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam last week serve as a '€œwarm-up'€ to a much more serious military confrontation among the South China Sea claimants, especially China, Vietnam and the Philippines, as there are no indications that the conflicting states are willing to adopt internationally accepted norms of peaceful settlement.

It will only be a matter of time before the South China Sea row explodes into a full-scale war if the claimants continue to insist they are absolutely right and the others are wrong and, therefore, can do whatever they like to impose their will over others. Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also claim sovereignty, at least partially, over the territory.

The Associated Press reported two Chinese passenger ships arriving at Vung Ang Port Monday to evacuate about 3,000 Chinese workers following deadly rioting last week in Vietnam. Chinese President Xi Jinping should act sternly amid nationwide outrage against Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang has ordered zero-tolerance toward anti-China street demonstrations because a racial issue could become a dangerous problem.

Both Xi and Truong know very well the huge risks of escalating tension between the two nations because nationalistic sentiments could spiral out of control. The two countries share a history of armed conflicts. Vietnam prides itself as a nation that could defeat major world powers such as France and the United States.

In December 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia to topple the brutal Pol Pot regime, one fully backed by China. Two months later, China invaded Vietnam to teach its neighbor a '€œlesson'€.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa was correct when he called on all parties to show self-restraint. '€œThe use of force, violations of international law, including of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the DOC [Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea], have no place in our region today,'€ Marty said over the weekend.

Indonesia has no claim over the South China Sea, but will certainly be affected should any conflict erupt. China itself has made it clear that it will not accept the involvement of ASEAN in the disputes because for Beijing this is a bilateral issue.

Most ASEAN members stand head and shoulder vis-à-vis China because their economies are very dependent on China. But despite all the imbalances, China and other claimants to the territory should remember that no state could bear the burden resulting from the use of military force to achieve its goals. They are playing with fire.