FORTY YEARS LATE... (via Gene Brown):

China warns ExxonMobil to drop Vietnam deal: report (AFP, 7/20/08)

Diplomats in Washington have contacted senior figures in the world's largest oil firm to protest the deal, which they say could be a breach of Chinese sovereignty, the Sunday Morning Post reported citing unnamed sources close to the US firm.

"If it was simply a legal question it would be easy," one of the sources told the newspaper.

"Vietnam would probably prevail in international mediation. But it's political, too. China's concerns make the situation much more complicated for a company like Exxon... China is a very important player in the international oil industry."

...but it wouyld be fun to fight a war with China in defense of the Vietnamese.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 21, 2008 3:49 PM