Amid increasing sparring between
China and its neighbours over disputed oil blocks in the South China Sea, India
on Friday said the region was key to its energy security and the conflict must
be resolved peacefully as per international laws.
Expressing concern over the
escalating tension in the area, India’s Ambassador to Vietnam Ranjit Rae said
half of India’s export and import go through the South China Sea and India
considers itself as an integral part of the archipelagos and its development.
“The dispute should be resolved
as per international laws. The South China Sea is very important and there
should be safety and security of the international ships so that import and
export are not affected,” he said here.
China has been opposing
resolution of the dispute under international laws and insisting on resolving
the issue through bilateral talks with respective countries.
Fresh tension engulfed the region
after China deployed four surveillance naval ships to patrol the South China
Sea in a bid to assert its sovereignty over a host islands which were also
claimed by a number of states including Vietnam and Philippines as part of
their exclusive economic zone.
The situation deteriorated last week
after China’s state-owned oil firm China National Offshore Oil Corporation
called for bids from foreign companies offering exploration of oil in nine
blocks in South China Sea sparking off protests in Hanoi.
Vietnam said the oil blocks
belong to its exclusive economic zone.
Sources here said part of the oil
block number 128, which was contracted to ONGC for oil exploration by Petro
Vietnam also fell under the blocks that CNOOC put up for bidding.
Sources said ONGC wanted to
surrender the oil block number 128 after a study found that oil exploration
would not be financially viable.
However, it agreed to re-examine
the decision if Petro Vietnam renews the contract. A final decision by the ONGC
is expected if Petro Vietnam extends the contract.
China has been asking India to
refrain from undertaking oil exploration in the Vietnamese blocks in order to
ensure “peace and stability” in the area.
Unfazed by Chinese objections,
India had inked an agreement with Vietnam in October last year to expand and
promote oil exploration in South China Sea.
The Chinese claim on the South
China Sea has been rejected by both India and Vietnam, saying as per the UN,
the blocks belong to Vietnam. India has already made it clear that the entire
Indian Ocean region stretching from East African coast to South China Sea
remains crucial to its foreign trade, energy and national security.
The timing of the deployment of
the ships by China came as the Philippines and Vietnam made strong moves to
assert their claims on some of the resource-rich islands.
Besides the two, Brunei, Malaysia
and Taiwan too have made strong claims over the islands which China claims as
its inherent territory.
While the Philippines has
deployed its naval vessels in ’Panatag’ Shoal, which China calls as ‘Huangyan
Island’, the Vietnamese Parliament has passed a new law asserting that Xisha
and Nansha Islands as called by China are part of its territory.
Pointing towards historic
relationship between India and Vietnam, Mr Rae said ONGC was offered to explore
oil in the region by Vietnamese government way back in 1988 and these
explorations are purely commercial in nature.
Seeking maintenance of status quo
till the dispute was resolved, Mr Rae said all the concerned countries should
do their best to ensure peace in the region and honour the declaration of code
of conduct.
“The region is a very dynamic
region as people say often that the centre if world economic gravity is
shifting to the region and new frameworks are being developed in the region on
economic, political and security front. India sees itself very much an integral
part of the region and its development,” Mr Rae told a visiting group of
journalists.
Indicating India’s strong resolve
to remain engaged in Vietnamese oil blocks, Mr Rae said the country has a huge
requirement of energy as its growth rates can be sustained with a stable and
growing supply of energy.
“Our companies have been active
in Vietnam for decades. It is not something new. These are commercial
enterprises undertaken by Indian and Vietnamese companies and I do not think
these have any political connotations or bearings,” he said.
About relations with Vietnam, Mr
Rae said it has grown “stronger and stronger over time”.
“It is a very vibrant and robust
relationship which will only grow and strengthen over a period of time... This
is a very important year in bilateral relationship between India and Vietnam.
We are celebrating 40 years of establishment of diplomatic relationship and
five years of establishment of strategic partnership,” he said.
Source: The Hindu
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