Each step of Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes his opponents stunned. Vietnam visit just before attending the G20 Summit held on 4th & 5th September in Honshu in China is also his diplomatic stroke. China has always been claiming over the South China Sea and nations like Vietnam are ignoring its claim. By reaching Vietnam before China, Modi has tried to hit many targets with one arrow. India is the 13th biggest exporter to Vietnam. The Prime Minister has expressed that India will continue its strong presence in South East Asia. On this occasion India signed 12 agreements with Vietnam in the areas of Defence, IT, Space, Health etc. India also announced a loan of 50 crore US Dollars to strengthen the cooperation in Defence. If we remember the seventies, slogans like “my name, your name, Vietnam Vietnam” echoed. By then the US had attacked over Vietnam and it was undergoing the freedom struggle. The entire world had an atmosphere against US Imperialism. But during the last round of the last century situations changed suddenly due to collapse of Soviet Union and Chinese attack over Vietnam. Vietnam has become an important symbol due to the expansionist policies of China. So the Geo political implications of the new agreement with India are also moving just around it. The most crucial question relates to South China Sea – which is rising as the point of confrontation. But China claims over 90 per cent. It connects the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Many a small nations like Vietnam, Philippines, are challenging this claim of China. The International Tribunal has held the Chinese claim inappropriate on the appeal from Philippines, which China is refusing to accept. In fact South China Sea has storage of oil and minerals much more than the Arabian countries. So China has an eye over it. The US and other European nations also cannot be happy on the Chinese supremacy on this sea. At such time the policy of strengthening Vietnam adopted by India is really commendable. The way China supports Pakistan over the POK, India is also strengthening its relations with Vietnam. Prime Minister’s China visit via Vietnam has not pleased China. Upset China has named the Vietnam visit of Modi as united pressurizing action by both. It has said that both India and Vietnam are bargaining with it. Chinese Government newspaper Global Times reports that due to South China Sea dispute relations between Beijing and Hanoi have not been cordial since some time. Besides, Vietnamese have started to think negatively about China. Modi’s Vietnam visit in such circumstances is undoubtedly a part ofa multi-pronged strategy from India. It seems that New Delhi and Hanoi may unite to create pressure over Beijing. It is for the first time in last 15 years that any Indian Prime Minister is visiting Vietnam while the present Chinese President Xi Zinping along with three ex presidents and Prime Minister Lee Ke Kiang have been visiting Vietnam within such time.
- Anil Narendra
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