NEW DELHI: India has been giving befitting replies to China in the months-long Ladakh standoff and also China-Pak military exercise which held in the Sindh province. India’s two-day-long naval exercise with Vietnam is ongoing in the South China Sea. The naval exercise with Vietnam started on 26th December. This naval exercise is considered as a befitting reply to China which considers the entire South China Sea as their personal property. Vietnam has been a party in the disputes with China over sharing the resources in the sea.

Currently, an Indian Navy warship is undertaking a “passage exercise” with the Vietnamese Navy. The naval ship, INS Kiltan, which had earlier gone to central Vietnam with relief materials during the flood period has been participating in the military exercise with Vietnam. Though officially it is considered as part of efforts to boost the naval cooperation between the two countries, the move also aims at containing expansionist China in the South China Sea. The importance of this naval exercise increases in the wake of China increasing its military footprint in the region.

India had earlier sent relief materials worth 15 tonnes, for the people of central Vietnam when they were reeling under a severe flood. INS Kiltan reached in the Harang port in Ho Chi Minch city last Thursday with the relief materials. The naval exercise was organised on its route back to India via the South China Sea. Last Monday, Prime Minister had talked with his Vietnam counterpart via online. Both sides had agreed to work together in sectors of defence, security cooperation including over the issues in the South China Sea.

India has already inked pacts over oil exploration in those areas in the South China Sea under the custody of Vietnam. Therefore India is concerned over the Chinese claims in the region.