With a strongly-worded reiteration of its territorial claims over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, the government of Vietnam on Wednesday invited strategic partner India to its expand its exploration of natural resources within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.

Like Us on Facebook

Ton Sin Thanh, Vietnam's ambassador to India, extended the invitation during a workshop in New Delhi organized by the ML Sondhi Institute for Asia Pacific Affairs (MLSIAPA), India's National Maritime Foundation (NMF) and the Center for China Analysis and Strategy (CSAS), a New Delhi-based think tank.

"We shall continue to cooperate with other countries, including India, to explore and exploit natural resources within our 200-nautical-mile EEZ," Thanh said.

Building Muscle

Hanoi -- a vocal critic of Beijing's policies in the South China Sea -- recently urged the UN to condemn China for its reported deployment of surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries on Woody Island, in the Paracels.

"Let us be sure and clear that both Paracel and Spratly Islands in SCS belong to Vietnam," said Thanh at the New Delhi gathering, using an acronym for the South China Sea.

India and Vietnam have deepened their defense and economic partnerships, and analysts claim rising tensions in the region have pushed both nations to add considerable muscle to their armed forces in recent years.

India was the world's largest importer of arms between the years 2011 to 2015, according to the latest report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on the global trade in military hardware. 

Vietnam ranked eighth during the same period -- a huge leap from its position in the previous five-year period, when it was in 43rd place.

In a bid to counter China, Hanoi has over the past few years purchased six Russian-made Kilo class submarines, 36 Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets, six stealth frigates, six fast attack craft, and -- more recently -- a sophisticated Israeli air defense system.

Strained Ties

"We have full historical evidence and legal foundation to confirm our sovereignty over those islands which in fact have been owned and controlled peacefully and continuously by Vietnam since the 17th century -- when no other countries claimed their sovereignty over those islands," Ambassador Thanh said of the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos.

The Vietnamese government has awarded resource-rich oil blocks to India in the South China Sea, from where the Indian company ONGC Videsh Limited supplies oil to Vietnam.  The company sought Vietnam's approval last year for an extension of its license of exploration for one of the blocks in an area that is not subject to territorial disputes.

While India's presence in the South China Sea is prompted by strictly commercial interests, analysts claim its increasing partnerships with China's political adversaries have begun to draw some attention in Beijing. 

East Asia policy expert Erik French says India's ties with nations such as Vietnam and Japan have created a measure of tension in its otherwise warm relations with China. 

"China's strong relations with Pakistan, India's primary international antagonist, are a constant source of concern for India," French wrote in a recent report for Global Risk Insights. "India's budding cooperation with the US and Japan similarly strains India's ties with China."

In May last year, India, the US and Japan issued a joint statement calling for a peaceful settlement of disputes, freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in the South China Sea. 

In January, India announced plans to build a satellite tracking station in southern Vietnam.  Although billed as a civilian facility, security experts have said the station will likely allow Hanoi improve its military reconnaissance and imaging technology over China and the South China Sea.  

TagsChina-Vietnam relations, China-India relations, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea