中共及越南同為社會主義國家，卻因南海主權問題而捲入爭端。自70年代至今雙方為了南海島礁發生數次海戰及衝突，近期於2014年5月發生鑽油平臺爭端，險些釀成軍事對峙。在中共宣告南海為「核心利益」、美國重返亞洲政策與越南、菲律賓將南海問題國際化等種種因素驅使下，此區域逐漸成為議題焦點。中越近期頻頻加強南海軍備及建設島礁，另隨著美國的積極介入，使南海局勢日趨複雜。中共與越南雖在南海議題上展現堅決不讓步的強硬態度，一度形成劍拔弩張的情勢，但若檢視兩方行為，已有所節制；甚至中美交鋒亦僅止於言詞交鋒，未有進一步作為，南海軍事衝突緊張情勢雖趨緩，惟長期維持的關鍵仍賴各方自我克制，值得持續關注。

Shared similar ideology based on socialism, China and Vietnam are involving in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Since 1970s, the maritime conflicts have broken out for seizing the reefs between two rivals. In May, 2014, the recent dispute in the region due to the Chinese oil rig has nearly escalated into a military confrontation. China's declaration of South China Sea as its ＂core interest,＂ in association with the U.S. rebalancing policy, and the issue of Vietnam and the Philippines internationalizing the South China Sea territorial disputes have gradually brought this region on the spotlight. China and Vietnam's reclamation on the reefs in the South China Sea as well as the U.S. interventions have turned this region into a chaos. On South China Sea issues, although China and Vietnam demonstrated their assertions and almost escalated to an armed conflict, they practice self-restrains. China and the U.S. only carry out verbal exchanges rather than going further to military operations. Although the tension between two sides in South China Sea has been alleviating, the key factor of sustained stability relies on self-restrains. The situation is worth concerning.