Why The New India-Vietnam Bonhomie Annoys China (Hint: South China Sea)

The South China Sea forms an indispensable part of India’s regional security architecture for the South Asian littorals as it acts as a strategic buffer between China and the Indian Ocean Region. Should China establish a dominant posture in the South China Sea, the scope of its naval operations and interference in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) can also expand.

India, which has as a substantial stake in the SCS, has called for peaceful resolution of the dispute in adherence to the provisions of The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Repeating its confrontational response to the categorical arbitration against its ‘historic’ sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, China deployed several naval ships, during the G-20 summit, to an area claimed by Vietnam as a part of its territory. The move, clearly defying Obama’s warning to China on its growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, indicates China’s willingness to escalate the crises in order to secure its illicit sovereignty claims in the region.

With over 50% of India’s trade with East Asian partners passing through the South China Sea (SCS), it is important for New Delhi to establishment relations with countries in the region to secure its interests. While the dispute in the South China Sea is a security threat to the region, it does provide India a unique opportunity for greater cooperation in the maritime domain.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Vietnam before he landed in China for the G-20 summit.  The visit occurs following the recent ruling by the Hague based tribunal on the South China Sea (SCS). The said verdict pushed China on the defensive.

Modi held talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and extended a $500 million line of credit for defense procurements. Vietnam, which faces a constant threat to security in the SCS, seeks to buy defense equipment from India including long-range patrol boats and surveillance crafts for its navy. The two nations also signed 12 different pacts to deepen bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors including Education and IT.

India and Vietnam also agreed to upgrade their limited engagement to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership- thereby sending a strong signal to Beijing.

With China’s deteriorating relations with Vietnam and in view of the upcoming East Asia Summit in Laos, New Delhi’s interaction with Hanoi was sharply followed in Beijing and attempts were made to downplay the importance of this engagement.

Zhou Fangyin, writing for the Global Times, mouthpiece of the Chinese Government, stated that ‘India and Vietnam seem to share quite a few common interests and similarities in terms of their policies toward Beijing’.’

He also hinted towards the limited nature of engagement between the two countries. Interestingly, the writer also noted that ‘both (India and Vietnam) have bitter history of being defeated in border wars with China’. Looks like the Chinese are annoyed indeed.