Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh agreed with his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani earlier this month that Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Forces will be allowed to visit the strategic Cam Ranh Bay in the South China Sea. The Hanoi-Tokyo defense cooperation came after Chinese President Xi Jinping's official state visit to Vietnam.

Hanoi is striving to reach a balance among the major powers. While Vietnam endeavors to maintain a friendly relationship with China, it is also bolstering close ties with Japan and the US. The nation finds its place among the powers by cooperating with different states in different fields, such as with Beijing on the economy and security and defense with Tokyo.

Vietnam's invitation to Japan to use its naval base is a demonstration of the deepened Hanoi-Tokyo defense cooperation. The two sides are expected to expand and strengthen bilateral collaboration in security and defense in the near future.

Yet this will not have fundamental effects on the China-Vietnam relationship. Beijing is fine with Hanoi moving closer to other nations, for instance, Japan, Russia and the US. Beijing and Hanoi, following Xi's trip to Vietnam, will have more mutual communication and cooperation over the South China Sea.

Closer China-Vietnam ties, on the other hand, do not mean that Vietnam will refuse to develop friendly relations with the US or Japan.

Hanoi's policy toward the South China Sea is not likely to see a change following Xi's visit. The nation is expected to continue to draw the US and Japan over to its side in order to balance China in the region. Taking advantage of the Western countries, Vietnam is seeking more initiatives in the South China Sea.

By allowing Japanese warships to make port calls at the bay, Hanoi is expecting Tokyo to play a more active diplomatic, rather than military role in the region.

Hanoi has territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, the disputes between Beijing and Tokyo over the East China Sea have been simmering for a long time.

Thus, Tokyo and Hanoi are very likely to have more communication, including how to strengthen diplomatic cooperation to react to Beijing. Nonetheless, the likelihood remains low for the two nations to have military collaborations.

Despite the fact that Japanese warships are allowed to visit Cam Ranh Bay, it is still too early to conjecture that Tokyo will take control of this deep water harbor. It should be a temporary, rather than a long-term, stay for Japan.

The Cam Ranh Bay has a vital strategic significance in the South China Sea and thus attracts major power competition. The US, coveting the bay, will definitely disagree and obstruct if Japan takes over the naval base. In addition, the bay was once one of the Soviet Union's most important overseas military sites, and it is not surprising that Russia is paying close attention to this situation.

Judging from the current situation, the strengthening Tokyo-Hanoi defense cooperation will not pose a threat to Beijing. Admittedly, certain Southeast Asian countries are cozying up to the US and Japan in exchange for support for their claims over the South China Sea.

Also, major powers are expected to go through intensified competition in the region. However, it does not mean that China will be besieged by these countries.

It should be noted that while some Southeast Asian nations, for instance, Vietnam, are courting Western countries, they are still hoping to strengthen cooperation with China.

In addition, the friendship between China and most of its Southeast Asian neighbors has lasted for a long time. China is unlikely to be threatened even if Japanese warships are invited to the naval base.

It is true that Japan is expected to broaden its scope of operation in the South China Sea after staying in the Cam Ranh Bay.

However, Beijing will not tolerate it if Tokyo infringes China's sovereignty or hampers Beijing's relations with other Southeast Asian countries.

The author is a research fellow from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn