India's growing stakes in South China Sea

[tarunraju]

Chinese Warship Confronts INS Airavat in South China Sea, in International Waters​

The Indian and Chinese navies were involved in a face-off in the disputed South China Sea. A Chinese warship confronted an Indian naval vessel as it left Vietnamese waters in July but the Indian Navy has denied the reports.
According to reports a Chinese warship, which remains unidentified, confronted India's INS Airawat, an amphibious assault vessel, and asked the ship to identify itself and explain its presence in the South China. London-based Financial Times reported that the Indian warship was in international waters after completing a scheduled port call in Vietnam.

Government sources told CNN-IBN that the incident took place on July 22 when INS Airavat ship was 45 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast and heading towards the Port of Haiphaong. An unidentified caller who claimed to be from the Chinese navy but was speaking in English told INS Airavat that the Indian ship was entering Chinese waters and they must leave.

The Indian ship did not respond as there was no Chinese vessel anywhere on the horizon, sources said.
According to the paper the actions of the Chinese warship is the latest example of Beijing's assertiveness which had irked India and Vietnam.

China claimed that South China Sea in its entirety, rejecting claims by other nations like Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan over the resource rich region.

The paper said that Vietnamese foreign ministry has acknowledged that the Indian warship had visited the country from July 19-22 but said, it had no information about the incident.

Financial Times said, that Chinese defence and foreign ministries declined comment as did the Indian government.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently condemned acts of intimidation in the international waters in an apparent reference to mounting tensions in the South China Sea.

A Pentagon report last week had said China was rapidly building up its surface and underwater naval capabilities as it places growing priority on securing shipping lanes and mineral rich areas in South China Sea.

 

[LurkerBaba]

China has dropped all pretense of a 'peaceful rise'

Also relevant:

Time to review law of the sea|Op-Ed Contributors|chinadaily.com.cn

On the other, in the early 20th century, China mainly occupied the major islets of the two archipelagoes, such as the Yongxing Island and the Taiping Island, because in light of the law of the sea in force at that time, a country did not have to occupy every islet, rock and reef to claim its sovereignty over an archipelago, especially when the rest of the islets were faraway and hard to be reached.

China did not often reiterate its sovereignty over the islands before World War II, because it was universally acknowledged that a country does not have to frequently claim its sovereignty when there is no strong sovereignty request from other countries. Such a principle has been widely adopted in solving territorial disputes, including the 1928 Island of Palmas Case, 1931 Clipperton Island Arbitration and the 1933 Legal Status of Eastern Greenland.

Although UNCLOS is now the law in force to regulate maritime activities, it cannot deny China's historical rights over the Nansha Islands. China's traditional maritime border took shape in 1947, 47 years before UNCLOS came into force in 1994, when concepts such as continental shelf and exclusive economic zone were not yet known. Just as Chao Kuo-tsai, an expert in international law at Taiwan-based "National Chengchi University", has said, vested right is restricted by the law contemporary with it and cannot be withdrawn by laws coming into force later.

Full article at :Time to review law of the sea|Op-Ed Contributors|chinadaily.com.cn

 

[xXX-Nair:::Saab-XXx]

Again SouthBlock Plays Down the issue says it was not a Confrontation ... When will This Sick Congressis Come out of The Nehrus Way of Foreign Policy..

 

[binayak95]

The Congress is unable of coming out of its Nehruvian hangover. They still are afraid of upsetting Beijing. What the damn!! China is our rival and not an elder brother as the Congress likes to think.

 

[Yusuf]

The Chinese are moving too fast for their own good. Its ensuring that its neighbors form an alliance against it. China will not be able to secure the entire sea lanes if all countries gang up.

 

[IBRIS]

China steps up offensive, says South China Sea oil hunt illegal

Citing national interest, China on Monday upped the ante against exploration of oil and gas in the South China Sea by India's ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), saying any such project without Chinese approval would be illegal and invalid.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei did not name India but urged "relevant countries" to refrain from unilateral actions that may "complicate and magnify" the dispute.

China's mounting opposition comes less than a week before planning commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia will lead a high-level team to Beijing from September 24 to 26 for the first India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue.

HT had broken the story last week about the diplomatic row between India and China over OVL's activities in what New Delhi described as Vietnamese blocks in the South China Sea.

Beijing issued a demarche to New Delhi over the issue and a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson expressed her country's objections to OVL's exploration a day later.

Hong said at a daily media briefing on Monday, "Any country engaged in oil and gas exploration activities in this jurisdiction without the approval of the Chinese government constitutes an infringement upon China's sovereignty and national interest and are therefore illegal and invalid."

India's stand has been that the exploration by OVL is being carried out in two Vietnamese blocks in accordance with international rules and would continue.

External affairs minister SM Krishna had during his visit to Hanoi last Friday said that the energy sector, including oil and gas exploration, would be the key area of cooperation between India and Vietnam.
China steps up offensive, says South China Sea oil hunt illegal - Hindustan Times

 

[Armand2REP]

Let it be so... I would love to see India actually stand up to China here.

 

[KS]

I said it before and I will say it now.

Unless OVL actually starts pumping out oil from those areas I will not be happy at the verbal retorts of India.

 

[pmaitra]

India should simply:

• Ramp up her naval presence there.
• Start stalking PLAN warships.
• Hire air bases and naval bases in Vietnam and Station fighters, interceptors and warships there.
• India should also start patrolling the skies over SCS using submarine hunters and recon aircraft.
• The message to PRC should be loud and clear: BEHAVE YOURSELF.

 

[niceguy2011]

India should simply:

• Ramp up her naval presence there.
• Start stalking PLAN warships.
• Hire air bases and naval bases in Vietnam and Station fighters, interceptors and warships there.
• India should also start patrolling the skies over SCS using submarine hunters and recon aircraft.
• The message to PRC should be loud and clear: BEHAVE YOURSELF.

i hope u r the pm of india.

 

[pmaitra]

i hope u r the pm of india.

Aren't you glad that I am not? Who exactly is being aggressive here? India has a Navy and an Air Force for a reason, to stand up to bullies.

 

[niceguy2011]

Aren't you glad that I am not? Who exactly is being aggressive here? India has a Navy and an Air Force for a reason, to stand up to bullies.

reson? money in swiss account?LOL.

 

[amoy]

Not really an exciting process depite all the fusses. Lack of deepsea exploration capabilities required in South China Sea and regular harassment by Coast Guards being foreseen it may turn out to be a tedious, unfruitful and money burning game for OVL, like for Western predecessors over those fields. Get prepared for that.

 

[niceguy2011]

Not really an exciting process depite all the fusses. With deepsea exploration capabilities required in South China Sea and regular harassment by Coast Guards foreseen it may turn out to be a tedious, unfruitful and money burning game for OVL, like for Western predecessors over those fields. Get prepared for that.

yes, BP tried last year.

 

[pmaitra]

reson? money in swiss account?LOL.

What exactly are you talking about? Sorry, I do not see the connection.

 

[pmaitra]

Not really an exciting process depite all the fusses. Lack of deepsea exploration capabilities required in South China Sea and regular harassment by Coast Guards being foreseen it may turn out to be a tedious, unfruitful and money burning game for OVL, like for Western predecessors over those fields. Get prepared for that.

We'll see. Here is a map to give you a geographical perspective:

Great post. Quoting map from there:

Exploration region closer to Vietnam than PRC.

PRC, go away. Quit poking your nose where it does not belong.

 

[nimo_cn]

We'll see. Here is a map to give you a geographical perspective:

It is really irrelevant which country the exploration region is closer to. What matters here is China claims the exploration region whether you like it or not and we will protect what we claim.

Prepare for the cable cut-off.

 

[pmaitra]

It is really irrelevant which country the exploration region is closer to. What matters here is China claims the exploration region whether you like it or not and we will protect what we claim.

Prepare for the cable cut-off.

No we don't like it. You must have a nerve to claim a region that is closer to Vietnam. If anyone is trying to spark off a conflict, it is none other than PRC.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

No we don't like it. You must have a nerve to claim a region that is closer to Vietnam. If anyone is trying to spark off a conflict, it is none other than PRC.

This is not in international waters or Chinese territory it is Vietnamese waters,China has no legal precedence so they are just spewing hot air.

 

[pmaitra]

This is not in international waters or Chinese territory,China has no legal precedence so they are just spewing hot air.

And India, IMHO, needs to call their bluff. PRC cannot afford another armed conflict, that too with India. They are counting on India withdrawing after their threats. Ain't happening.