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Taking on China: India's defence ties with Vietnam needs to be lauded
As India’s “Look East” policy is moving to the next phase of “Act East” under the Narendra Modi government, Vietnam has emerged as a key country for taking this policy forward with an eye on China.
On the night of 25 May, India and Vietnam signed a Joint Vision Statement on defence cooperation for 2015-2020. A concrete manifestation of fast-developing strategic ties between New Delhi and Hanoi was signed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart General Phung Quang Thanh at the end of their delegation level talks.
Narendra Modi with PM of Vietnam. PTI image
An MoU on cooperation between the Coast Guards of the two countries was also signed in the presence of the two defence ministers. According to a defence ministry statement, the two sides discussed issues ranging from defence cooperation, including cooperation in the area of maritime security to reiterating their commitment to further enhancing the ongoing defence engagements between the two sides for mutual benefit.
However, the defence ministry statement was silent on specific issues where the two sides are pro-actively engaged. For example, Vietnam is keen on purchasing BrahMos missiles from India. The previous UPA government had gone slow on the Vietnamese request as Russia, a co-developer of the missile, was then edgy about it because of its strategic relationship with China. But now Russia is understood to be game and has conveyed to India that it can go ahead in exporting the missiles to Vietnam. Some technical issues still remain, like India awaiting entry into the elite Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) club.
Another issue which the defence ministers discussed was the sale of Indian military equipment to Vietnam, something which has never happened so far. In a first, India had extended a $100 million line of credit to Vietnam to enable the nation to purchase military equipment like patrol boats in September last.
This came up for a specific mention by the Prime Minister’s Office in a brief statement after Gen Thanh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 May. The PMO statement said: “General Thanh briefed Prime Minister Modi about defence and security related developments in the India-Vietnam bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Modi expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral defence and security cooperation since the visit of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.” The Vietnamese prime minister had visited India in October 2014 and had held talks with PM Modi. General Thanh’s just-concluded India visit is a follow up of his prime minister’s trip to India.
Incidentally, Indian move of extending $100 million in line of credit, the fourth one taking the amount pledged under this mechanism to Vietnam to $191.50 million, coincided with Chine President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to India in September last. The Chinese ire was demonstrated quickly as Chinese troops launched a major incursion into Indian territory even though Xi was on Indian soil.
Visits by leaders of rival nations (Japan, Vietnam) to India are closely watched by China. Going by the Chinese track record, the Vietnamese defence minister’s India visit and the signing of a five-year joint vision statement on defence cooperation during this visit wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by China. What is more, this won’t go without some kind of reprisal from China.
also see
One such Chinese retaliation is already in the pipeline.
China has reportedly put on hold Indian efforts to seek United Nations Security Council sanctions against Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. China has thrown a spanner in the works by putting the Indian move on hold on technical grounds seeking more information on Salahuddin’s links to al Qaeda.
The Chinese move has come close on the heels of PM Modi’s maiden visit to China (14-16 May). It clearly shows what the Modi government is up against while dealing with a country like China.
The Modi government’s sustained efforts to take India-Vietnam strategic relationship to yet another level need to be lauded. At a time when China has pledged to pump $46 billion in infrastructure projects in Pakistan, India is left with no option but to counter the Chinese string of pearls strategy aimed at containing India. Vietnam fits ideally into Indian scheme of things in this context.
Taking on China: India's defence ties with Vietnam needs to be lauded - Firstpost
As India’s “Look East” policy is moving to the next phase of “Act East” under the Narendra Modi government, Vietnam has emerged as a key country for taking this policy forward with an eye on China.
On the night of 25 May, India and Vietnam signed a Joint Vision Statement on defence cooperation for 2015-2020. A concrete manifestation of fast-developing strategic ties between New Delhi and Hanoi was signed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart General Phung Quang Thanh at the end of their delegation level talks.
Narendra Modi with PM of Vietnam. PTI image
An MoU on cooperation between the Coast Guards of the two countries was also signed in the presence of the two defence ministers. According to a defence ministry statement, the two sides discussed issues ranging from defence cooperation, including cooperation in the area of maritime security to reiterating their commitment to further enhancing the ongoing defence engagements between the two sides for mutual benefit.
However, the defence ministry statement was silent on specific issues where the two sides are pro-actively engaged. For example, Vietnam is keen on purchasing BrahMos missiles from India. The previous UPA government had gone slow on the Vietnamese request as Russia, a co-developer of the missile, was then edgy about it because of its strategic relationship with China. But now Russia is understood to be game and has conveyed to India that it can go ahead in exporting the missiles to Vietnam. Some technical issues still remain, like India awaiting entry into the elite Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) club.
Another issue which the defence ministers discussed was the sale of Indian military equipment to Vietnam, something which has never happened so far. In a first, India had extended a $100 million line of credit to Vietnam to enable the nation to purchase military equipment like patrol boats in September last.
This came up for a specific mention by the Prime Minister’s Office in a brief statement after Gen Thanh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 May. The PMO statement said: “General Thanh briefed Prime Minister Modi about defence and security related developments in the India-Vietnam bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Modi expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral defence and security cooperation since the visit of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.” The Vietnamese prime minister had visited India in October 2014 and had held talks with PM Modi. General Thanh’s just-concluded India visit is a follow up of his prime minister’s trip to India.
Incidentally, Indian move of extending $100 million in line of credit, the fourth one taking the amount pledged under this mechanism to Vietnam to $191.50 million, coincided with Chine President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to India in September last. The Chinese ire was demonstrated quickly as Chinese troops launched a major incursion into Indian territory even though Xi was on Indian soil.
Visits by leaders of rival nations (Japan, Vietnam) to India are closely watched by China. Going by the Chinese track record, the Vietnamese defence minister’s India visit and the signing of a five-year joint vision statement on defence cooperation during this visit wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by China. What is more, this won’t go without some kind of reprisal from China.
also see
-
No border talks but expect economic deals during PM Modi's visit to China 
Playing hardball before handshakes: Govt rakes up Azad Kashmir project ahead of Modi's visit to China
Modi in China: It's finally all about evolving compromises on border issues
One such Chinese retaliation is already in the pipeline.
China has reportedly put on hold Indian efforts to seek United Nations Security Council sanctions against Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. China has thrown a spanner in the works by putting the Indian move on hold on technical grounds seeking more information on Salahuddin’s links to al Qaeda.
The Chinese move has come close on the heels of PM Modi’s maiden visit to China (14-16 May). It clearly shows what the Modi government is up against while dealing with a country like China.
The Modi government’s sustained efforts to take India-Vietnam strategic relationship to yet another level need to be lauded. At a time when China has pledged to pump $46 billion in infrastructure projects in Pakistan, India is left with no option but to counter the Chinese string of pearls strategy aimed at containing India. Vietnam fits ideally into Indian scheme of things in this context.
Taking on China: India's defence ties with Vietnam needs to be lauded - Firstpost
