India-Vietnam ties, from strong to stronger

Source: This post is created based on the article “India-Vietnam ties, from strong to stronger” published in The Hindu on 21^st July 2022.

Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – International Relations

Context: The article analyses various dimensions of India-Vietnam relations.

India’s external trade (over 90% by volume and 70% by value) is by sea, thus oceans are the key to India’s future. Thus, India has intensified its efforts to engage with maritime neighbors, including Vietnam.

With the following developments, the scale of the India-Vietnam strategic and defense cooperation was enhanced:

1. Formal declaration of a strategic partnership made in 2007.
2. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, 2016,
3. Signing of ‘Joint Vision for Defence Cooperation and
4. A memorandum of understanding on mutual logistics support
5. India granted the U.S. $100 million Defence Line of Credit to Vietnam and announced finalization of another U.S. $500 million Defence Line of Credit.
6. India has also agreed to expand military training and assist the Vietnam Navy’s strike capabilities.
7. India’s Defence Minister handed over 12 high-speed boats, a Khukri-class corvette, to Vietnam recently’.

Other areas of cooperation between India and Vietnam

1) Maritime security dialogue, 2) naval exercises, 3) Coast Guard cooperation, and training and capacity building, and 4) cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Furthermore, both countries are synergizing their efforts to work in bilateral and other sub-regional and multilateral frameworks, such as IORA, BIMSTEC, Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, etc.

Both countries are also looking at collaboration around the seven pillars of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

Significance of India-Vietnam relationship

As India pursues its ‘Act East Policy’, Vietnam has become a valuable partner in India’s political and security engagements in the Indo-Pacific region.

Both countries share some strategic concerns like energy security and open and secure sea lines of communication.

India’s is broadening its economic and strategic interests in the region, while Vietnam’s desire for strategic autonomy. Both will be benefitted by the strong relationship.

Vietnam is of great strategic importance because its position enables it to control ‘the South China Sea — a true Mediterranean of the Pacific’.

What are the driving factors behind India’s growing maritime engagement with Vietnam?

1) To counter an assertive China by strengthening Vietnam’s military power.

2) Recognising geostrategic and geo-economic importance of sea lines of communication beyond its geographical proximity like the South China Sea. It is important as almost 55% of India’s trade with the Indo-Pacific region passes through the South China Sea.

3) To track potential developments in the maritime domain that could affect its national interests

4) Importance of a forward maritime presence and naval partnership to deter potential adversaries, has been recognised by the Indian Navy.

What are the potential areas of cooperation?

1) Meaningful academic and cultural collaborations, 2) blue economy, 3) marine habitat conservation, 4) advance collaboration between maritime security agencies.

Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) presents immense opportunities for India-Vietnam relations. It will be helpful in addressing common challenges and strengthening India- Vietnam relationship.