With China on mind, India’s Navy Chief steps up Vietnam connect

India’s Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is on a five-day visit to Vietnam with an aim to step up defence and security cooperation with the South Asian nation which has emerged as a pivot of India’s Act East policy.

Given the fast changing geo-strategic dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region, marked by China’s increased assertiveness in the region, the Navy Chief’s visit is being watched closely in Beijing.

Given their geographic locations, both India and Vietnam rely heavily on the sea for security and economic activities. The naval forces of the two countries have been cooperating extensively in strengthening maritime security and operational aspects. India has been training Vietnamese sailors on Kilo-class submarines and has recently agreed to assist in the production of patrol boats. Admiral Lanba’s visit is expected to further bolster the ties between the Indian Navy and the Vietnam People’s Navy. A statement from the Indian Navy on the Naval Chief’s visit said: “The visit aims to consolidate cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Vietnam and also to explore new avenues of defence cooperation.”

Growing Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Hanoi in September 2016 was transformational and placed the expanding India-Vietnam ties on a new footing. During his visit, the Indian leader pledged $500 million in Lines of Credit for a host of development and defence-related projects in the Southeast Asian nation.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1972, the ties between India and Vietnam have grown into a multifaceted partnership, but with a strong defence component. The two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership in July 2007 during the then Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dun’s visit to New Delhi, which was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Hanoi in September 2016.

During his visit, Admiral Lanba will be engaging in talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich, Chief of General Staff and Vice Minister of National Defence Van Giang and the Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam Navy, Rear Admiral Pham Hoai Nam. Admiral Lanba is also expected to visit the National Defence Academy of Vietnam to deliver a talk on the ‘Importance of Maritime Power.’

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