India's growing stakes in South China Sea

[Yusuf]

Indian navy does not have that kind of force level to maintain or increase it's force level in SCS. just because we made a few port stops there doesn't mean we are going to station there. I guess the excitement is because of our recent visits there and also the ONGC deal a d people thought we will have a task force in SCS. I don't think it will happen now. No until we are a 3-4 carrier force anyway.

Poor Anthony bad to come up with a denial so that no one gets over excited. India should continue to expand military as well as economic ties with South East Asia. Everything else will fall in it's place.

 

[sayareakd]

No need to worry, just send our nuke subs in near future.

 

[ALBY]

why the hell we r still a brown water navy?when will we become me in blue?

 

[Galaxy]

why the hell we r still a brown water navy?when will we become me in blue?

Blue Navy by 2020-2022

 

[no smoking]

My question is: how india can increase its military forces in southern china sea when it has no forces deployed there permanently in first place?

 

[Adux]

Japan,South Korea, Vietnam. Singapore and USN, compare that too String of pearls, China has already lost

 

[bhramos]

IN warships will keep going to S China Sea: Antony

India today made it clear that its naval warships would continue visiting the South China Sea for exercises and to protect Indian interests, despite Chinese claims of sovereignty over the entire sea.

China is also wary of nations like Vietnam. The dispute was mentioned in the UN this year and China had rejected any intervention. Defence Minister AK Antony today said, "To ensure uninterrupted and safe passage for its ships for trade, India will keep visiting these waters for naval exercises to protect its core areas of interest."

However, he clarified there was no move to increase naval presence in the South China Sea. Antony was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Naval Commanders' Conference. This statement comes within weeks of two verbal duels between the two neighbours. Incidentally, Vietnam President Truongtuong Tan Sang is on official visit to India.

The first incident was when Indian naval warship INS Airavaat on a sail in the South China Sea had carried on with its scheduled course after an unidentified caller over the open radio network allegedly asked the Captain of the ship about his presence in the waters. Just three weeks ago, Indian oil exploring company ONGC started exploration in off-shore block near Vietnam in South China Sea. India made it clear that these were international water and all installations would be protected against any aggression.

Antony, speaking to the commanders said, "The Navy will be the net security provider to island nations in the Indian Ocean Region. Importantly, he said the phase II of the Karwar port (South of Goa) will soon be cleared by the Cabinet. This will more than double the berthing jetties for the Navy. Karwar is one of the few deep sea ports on the West coast.

On Chinese Army's presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the minister said they had been present in the area since a long time. He said India was aware of the fact and had conveyed its concern to China also. He refused to comment on the nuclear submarine Akula class "Nerpa" that India was leasing from Russia for 10 years.

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News
so now what is India thinking or Planing? to keep regular Patrol or Visits to S.China seas???
are we pulling tail of Dragon again and again!!!!!!!!

 

[Bangalorean]

Good.

This, and the Afghan strategic tie-up. I am beginning to like GoI's policies more and more.

 

[nrj]

My man!

Gawd knows much regret PLAAN is going to have over INS Airavat mischief!

 

[ace009]

Brown water navy nowadays means a navy primarily working on/ in riverine systems. Green water navy works in the littoral regions of seas - within 200 nautical miles of the coast. Blue water navy is one that can operate beyond that zone - India is a "mild" blue water navy - it can do limited operations in the open ocean - for short times. To be a true blue water navy, India needs more carriers, naval air assets, LPD/ LHDs, tankers, transports and submarines. The other name for a blue water navy is "expeditionary naval force".

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Vietnam under pressure from China to cancel oil deal with India - The Times of India

Vietnam under pressure from China to cancel oil deal with India

BEIJING: Ongoing parley between Vietnam's communist party head Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese leaders clearly suggest that Beijing is pressuring Hanoi to cancel its oil exploration deal with India for joint exploration of the disputed areas in South China Sea.

The official Xinhua news agency said Sunday leaders of both countries have agreed that they will not "allow any hostile force to destroy the relations". They also promised to hold "frequent communication and dialogue on the maritime issues".

"Both sides will seek steady progress in negotiations regarding the maritime demarcation of the bay mouth of the Beibu Gulf (Gulf of Tonkin) and discuss the joint development of the sea area," Xinhua quoted an official statement as saying about the disputed area.

A newspaper affiliated to the Communist Party on Sunday went a step ahead saying India was risking its own energy security.

"Challenging the core interests of a large, rising country for unknown oil at the bottom of the sea will not only lead to a crushing defeat for the Indian oil company, but will most likely seriously harm India's whole energy security and interrupt its economic development," China Energy News, a publication of the People's Daily, which bellowed to the Communist Party said.

The paper actually warned Indian companies saying they "must not enter into the disputed waters of the South China Sea".

China is showing signs of a comedown from its earlier stand rejecting Vietnam's claim to ownership of the disputed island on the South China Sea altogether. It is now ready to talk on the details of the dispute.

Hanoi is clearly caught in a difficult jam because cancelling an exploration contract with India can have repercussions on its oil deals with companies from other countries, sources said. But resisting pressures from China, which is a major trade partner, is not going to be easy. Besides, Beijing is expected to come up with some economic sweeteners as well.

An Indian ship traveling towards the Vietnam coast was recently ordered over radio to leave the area. There is still no confirmation that the radio message came from the Chinese navy, Indian officials sources said.

China claims sovereignty over essentially all of the South China Sea. This has resulted in an overlap with claims of Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia.

 

[Illusive]

China tells Vietnam to scrap oil deal with India

Beijing tells Vietnam to scrap India oil deal


BEIJING: Within days of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosting Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang, Chinese leaders are leaning on Vietnam to cancel the country's oil exploration deal with India in South China Sea.

Xinhua, China's official news agency, on Sunday said leaders of both China and Vietnam (represented by Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong) have agreed that they will not "allow any hostile force to destroy their relations". They also promised to hold "frequent communication and dialogue on maritime issues".

"Both sides will seek steady progress in negotiations regarding the maritime demarcation of the bay mouth of Beibu Gulf (Gulf of Tonkin) and discuss the joint development of the sea area," Xinhua quoted an official statement as saying.

A newspaper affiliated to the Communist Party went a step further saying India was risking its own energy security. "Challenging the core interests of a large, rising country for unknown oil at the bottom of the sea will not only lead to a crushing defeat for the Indian oil company, but will also most likely seriously harm India's whole energy security and interrupt its economic development," warned China Energy News, a publication of the People's Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece. It further stated ominously that Indian companies "must not enter the disputed waters of the South China Sea".

Hanoi is caught in a bind. Cancelling an exploration contract with India can have repercussions on its oil deals with companies from other countries, sources said. But resisting pressures from China, which is a major trade partner, is not going to be easy. Besides, Beijing is expected to come up with some economic sweeteners as well.

Communist Party chief claims China sovereignty over all of South China Sea, which resulted in an overlap with claims of Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia. An Indian ship traveling to Vietnam was recently ordered over radio to leave. There is no confirmation that the radio message came from the Chinese navy, said Indian official sources.

Delhi Risking Country's Energy Security & Growth, Warns Chinese Paper

Beijing tells Vietnam to scrap India oil deal - The Times of India

 

[Bangalorean]

Haven't we already told them to bugger off? How many times will they keep whining about it?

 

[niceguy2011]

Beijing tells Vietnam to scrap India oil deal


BEIJING: Within days of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosting Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang, Chinese leaders are leaning on Vietnam to cancel the country's oil exploration deal with India in South China Sea.

Xinhua, China's official news agency, on Sunday said leaders of both China and Vietnam (represented by Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong) have agreed that they will not "allow any hostile force to destroy their relations". They also promised to hold "frequent communication and dialogue on maritime issues".

"Both sides will seek steady progress in negotiations regarding the maritime demarcation of the bay mouth of Beibu Gulf (Gulf of Tonkin) and discuss the joint development of the sea area," Xinhua quoted an official statement as saying.

A newspaper affiliated to the Communist Party went a step further saying India was risking its own energy security. "Challenging the core interests of a large, rising country for unknown oil at the bottom of the sea will not only lead to a crushing defeat for the Indian oil company, but will also most likely seriously harm India's whole energy security and interrupt its economic development," warned China Energy News, a publication of the People's Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece. It further stated ominously that Indian companies "must not enter the disputed waters of the South China Sea".

Hanoi is caught in a bind. Cancelling an exploration contract with India can have repercussions on its oil deals with companies from other countries, sources said. But resisting pressures from China, which is a major trade partner, is not going to be easy. Besides, Beijing is expected to come up with some economic sweeteners as well.

Communist Party chief claims China sovereignty over all of South China Sea, which resulted in an overlap with claims of Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia. An Indian ship traveling to Vietnam was recently ordered over radio to leave. There is no confirmation that the radio message came from the Chinese navy, said Indian official sources.

Delhi Risking Country's Energy Security & Growth, Warns Chinese Paper

Beijing tells Vietnam to scrap India oil deal - The Times of India

Viet is a good and smart boy.

 

[Armand2REP]

Viet is a good and smart boy.

Vietnam refuses to cancel the oil deal and they are good and smart boy? I didn't know you are turn-coat on CCP. Nice to have you on board!

 

[Phenom]

This kind of response is expected from China, so nothing surprising.

What matters more is India should hold its ground and make sure it doesn't give in to Chinese demands.

 

[debasree]

Viet is a good and smart boy.

they are enough smart to fool u ,.......he he he.....anyway good luck.

 

[Daredevil]

Here is something for China from India and Vietnam :thumb:

Unfazed by China, India, Vietnam sign oil deal, extradition treaty

New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Undeterred by Beijing's objections, India and Vietnam Wednesday sealed an accord for oil exploration in the South China Sea and signed half a dozen pacts, including an extradition treaty, to expand their strategic partnership.

India and Vietnam, Southeast Asia's fastest growing economy, also launched a security dialogue and set a bilateral trade target of $7 billion to add more economic heft to their growing relationship.

In a subtle message aimed at Beijing, whose relations with Hanoi are under strain over a host of issues, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called India's strategic partnership with Vietnam "a factor of peace, stability and development" in the Asia-Pacific region. However, he added that the relationship stood "on its own merits".

"A strong India-Vietnam relationship is a factor of peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region. It stands on its own merits. The president's visit has give a new thrust and direction to this partnership," Manmohan Singh said at a joint press conference with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.

In an important step, state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp's overseas investment arm OVL signed a three-year agreement with PetroVietnam for developing long-term cooperation in the oil sector in the presence of the two leaders.

The pact covers new investments and strengthening presence from drilling-to-dispensing in Vietnam, India, and other countries, ONGC said in a statement here.

The two nations will cooperate on "various fronts in the oil and gas sector-in upstream activities, in refining, in gas processing in Vietnam, in India and in third countries," said OVL managing director D.K. Sarraf, who signed the pact with his PetroVietnam counterpart Phung Dinh Thuc.

India already has stakes in two blocks and is looking for more.

Manmohan Singh also underlined that India and Vietnam were maritime neighbours in the region and would work together to confront security challenges from terrorism, piracy and natural disasters.

"We have to work together to ensure the safety and security of vital sea lanes of communication and continue exchanges in this fields in the future," he said.

China has objected to India's oil exploration deals with Vietnam in its territorial waters in South China Sea, which Beijing claims in full. India has defended the deal, saying its cooperation with Vietnam was in accordance with international laws and has underlined the need for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. India's assertion has been welcomed by Hanoi, which has been wary of Chinese attempts to dominate the region.

The two sides inked a crucial extradition treaty and agreed to boost cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas, including trade, energy, science and technology, IT and conservation and restoration of Indian cultural relics in Vietnam.

Three cultural cooperation pacts were also signed, including one on celebrating the India-Vietnam Friendship Year in 2012. A memorandum of understanding on agricultural research was also signed.

"We have instituted a mechanism of a biennial dialogue on security issues between our ministry of home affairs and its Vietnamese counterpart. The extradition treaty signed today will provide a legal and institutional basis for our cooperation," said Manmohan Singh.

The two countries also decided to more than double their bilateral trade from $2.7 billion to $7 billion by 2015 and agreed to boost the two-way investment. They also agreed to work towards an early finalisation of the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in Services and Investment.

The visit of the Vietnamese president to India coincides with a trip by Nguyen Phu Trong, the Vietnamese ruling party chief, to Beijing. On Wednesday, China and Vietnam announced unveiled a slew of steps to reduce tensions in the South China Sea, agreed to hold discussions twice a year to resolve their differences and to set up a hot line between the two countries

 

[Galaxy]

China must act against Indian ambition: Daily


Beijing, Oct 16: A state-run Chinese daily has urged Beijing to prevent India from "reckless attempts in confronting China" after it inked a pact with Vietnam to explore oil in the South China Sea.

"Both countries clearly know what this means for China," the English language Global Times, which in the past has taken a hard line on India, said in a commentary referring to the New Delhi-Hanoi agreement.

"China may consider taking actions to show its stance and prevent more reckless attempts in confronting China."

It noted that India was willing to fish in the troubled waters of the South China Sea so as to "accumulate bargaining chips on other issues with China".

China, the daily said, needs to respond with "firm retaliatory measures".

India has its ambitions in the region, it said, but its national strength does not provide solid support for such ambitions -- yet. Furthermore, this is not India's urgent task in building itself into a great power, the paper observed.

India is just poking its nose where it does not belong.

The Global Times was unsparing of Vietnam too.

Hanoi signed the agreement with New Delhi just a day after it signed a deal in Beijing on ground rules to resolve maritime disputes.

"It is hard to tell if this shows a double-dealing mentality from Hanoi, or a disagreement among Vietnam's top decision-makers.

"India probably has deeper considerations in its regional strategy than simply getting barrels of oil and gas," it said.

There is strong political motivation behind the exploration projects. China's vocal objections may not be heeded. It called on China to take practical actions, including those to make the project fall through.

China should denounce this agreement as illegal. Once India and Vietnam initiate their exploration, China can send non-military forces to disturb their work and cause friction to halt the project, it suggests.

China should let the two countries know that economic profits via such methods can hardly match the risk, it said.

Indian society was not prepared for "a fierce conflict" with China on the South China Sea issue, it said.

However, it also noted that a rising China inevitably needed to have some degree of tolerance.
--IANS

 

[amitkriit]

India and China cannot afford a war, this will only weaken us and the real winners will be USA and NATO. What can we do to bring some sanity into our relationship? China's high-handed tactics will not help it in long run. No proud nation will tolerate their threat beyond a point, a change of heart (of CCP leadership) or a change of regime is needed for the betterment of more than 2 Billion human beings.