A violent attack on a Vietnamese fishing boat tests Hanoi’s muted but resolute approach to China’s aggression in the South China Sea.

The storm made landfall near Danang on Sunday after leaving at least 80 people dead last week.

While observational flights have improved forecasts for many storms in the Americas, such flights have been far fewer for storms that have hit Asia.

As China pushes to dominate the South China Sea, it is increasingly willing to use force to drive out the Philippines. In recent months, China’s tactics have raised fears of a superpower showdown in the strategic waterway.

The storm has killed at least 13 people in the Philippines and is forecast to be the strongest to hit Hainan Province in a decade.

The United States condemned the episode near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea and reaffirmed its defense treaty with Manila.

Jake Sullivan also met with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, who said the United States should “find a correct way for the two major countries to get along.”