Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Vietnam on September 3. The Indian PM's visit, which comes just days before the G20 Summit in China, is seen as a strong signal to Beijing that India intends to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.  

Times of India reported that during the visit, the Indian PM would sign a contract to supply four patrol boats to Vietnam under a $100 million line of credit approved by India in 2014. Additionally, New Delhi may offer more financial support to the Vietnamese military and undertake other commitments like increasing the quota for the training of Vietnam's armed forces and maintenance of military hardware.       

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In return, India may reportedly acquire stakes in supplementary hydrocarbon blocks in the disputed South China Sea. In the past, Vietnam had offered Indian oil companies stakes in its hydrogen reserves in exchange for the military and financial assistance.      

New Delhi and Hanoi have formed a tight bond over the years amid China's growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. Hanoi considers India's military assistance critical to counter China's growing aggression in the disputed maritime territory.

Hanoi's pursuit to counter China's influence in the disputed waters also got a huge boost in June after US President Obama revoked Washington's 41-year-old arms embargo on Vietnam.       

India has stated it supports a resolution of the South China Sea dispute according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as against the unilateral judgment delivered by the Arbitration Court in Hague on July 12 that dismissed China's historical claim over the region.

Experts say India will seek to avoid any military and direct intervention in the South China Sea dispute as it does not want to irk China.

TagsIndia, china, India and China, Vietnam, India and Vietnam, South China Sea Dispute