Several Asian and Western reports indicate that the Philippines and Vietnam are making acquisitions to counter the recent hostility in the South China Sea from China. China is using her military might to maintain Beijing's position that China, based on ancient occupancy, has historical rights to the plentiful petroleum and mineral reserves beneath the waters of that region.
Among vessels newly acquired by Vietnam, one of many nations of the South China Sea which dispute Beijing's claim, is a Gepard class frigate (photo), which was delivered August 29 at the Cam Ranh Bay naval port; 
the new frigate will become the most capable of their fleet. Vietnamese Navy Commander Nguyen Van Hien said the modern warship marked “A new development in combative strength as well as the capability of managing and defending [Vietnam's] sea sovereignty.”
The following day, August 30th, the Philippine Navy took possession of a decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard cutter, formerly the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, in the Philippine effort to respond to tensions with China, particularly in the Spratly and Paracel Islands area.
China is and has been adding advanced submarines, some equipped with nuclear weapons, as well as new destroyers and amphibious assault ships. The Chinese coast guard and fishery surveillance sectors, too, are receiving new vessels and greater funding.
In meetings of the ten member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the U.S. being represented, the disagreements in the South China Sea have been addressed; the members are working on a formal code of behavior for the waters, reefs, and atolls in the disputed waters. China however, rejects this formal mechanism and will deal with individual countries. China's defense budget, $91.5 billion, last year, is second in the world, surpassed only by that of the United States.
Article comments
1 - Baronius
Informative article.
2 - Glenn Contrarian
I just read yesterday on al-Jazeera that the Philippine president 'Noynoy' Aquino is presently in China on a "we're open for business" mission, and this issue is one of the issues that will be addressed. My gut feeling is that he will back off the Spratlys as much as he can without arousing the ire of the Filipino people, and at the same time will angle for favorable trade conditions in return. I suspect - hope - that he'll try to angle for the Philippines to be the main supplier of logistical needs for the Chinese engineering efforts that will eventually happen in the Spratlys.
3 - chineseprice
The chinese gov. will buy at the low price then takes over soon or later.
4 - vietnam
what are you going to do with them? attack? or protect?
5 - John Lake
#3 comment may be more truthful than most would suspect.