On Sunday, India and Vietnam concluded the two-day passage exercise (PASSEX) in the disputed South China Sea (SCS) to enhance maritime security cooperation. INS Kiltan participated in the drill with the Vietnam People’s Navy.
The Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare corvette arrived at the Nha Rhang port of Ho Chi Minh City last Thursday to provide relief for floods that have ravaged the country in October and November this year, claiming the lives of at least 230 people. The military training exercise on the corvette’s return trip had been scheduled in advance. “Passage exercise PASSEX (carried out) between the Indian Navy and Vietnam People's Navy on December 26, 2020. Reinforcing maritime interoperability and jointness,” the Indian Navy tweeted yesterday.
The exercise follows Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s virtual summit last Monday with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, during which the allies vowed to boost overall defence and security cooperation including in the maritime sphere. India has been a vocal advocate of a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, and thus has been attempting to increase engagement with its Indo-Pacific neighbours. For example, earlier this month, India also conducted the CORPAT naval exercise with Indonesia to enhance cooperation through intelligence sharing and tackling drug trafficking activity in the region.
India and Vietnam have shared a historically warm diplomatic relationship, with several high-level meetings between the two countries’ authorities taking place all year round. A month ago, India and Vietnam held a virtual bilateral meeting during which they discussed the future trajectory of their relations and also signed an implementation agreement (IA) on hydrography.
Likewise, in August, the two partners held the 17th meeting of their bilateral Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, wherein they agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership “in line with India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN’s Outlook on Indo-Pacific to achieve shared security, prosperity and growth for all in the region”.
Additionally, the MEA stated earlier this year that India had approved 12 quick impact projects (QIPs) for implementation in Vietnam. Seven of these projects pertain to water resource management in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta Region and five are related to the construction of educational infrastructure in Vietnam.
Further, Vietnam has also previously offered India the opportunity to expand its oil and gas exploration in the SCS in areas that Hanoi firmly believes fall well within Vietnam’s economic zone. Vietnam’s claim to the SCS is disputed by China’s assertion of its controversial nine-dash line, which infringes on islands, reefs, banks and shoals in the SCS, including the Paracel Islands, Pratas Island and the Vereker Banks, Macclesfield Bank, Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands, that are contested between China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The PASSEX comes at a time when China has been ramping up activity in the SCS. A week ago, an aircraft carrier group was led through the Taiwan Strait by Shandong—China’s newest carrier—to the SCS for routine military drills. According to Beijing, the drills were “normal arrangements made in accordance with annual plans”.
Indian and Vietnamese Navies Hold PASSEX Exercises in South China Sea
Indian naval ship INS Kiltan participated in naval exercises with Vietnam on Sunday after delivering relief package to the flood-affected country.
December 28, 2020
SOURCE: DNA