China on Thursday indicated it was opposed to India engaging in oil and gas exploration projects in the disputed South China Sea, and warned Indian companies against entering into any agreements with Vietnam ahead of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's visit to Hanoi this week.
"Our consistent position is that we are opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration and development activities in waters under China's jurisdiction," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said, in reply to a question on reports that the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Videsh Limited was considering exploration projects in two blocks that Vietnam claims.
While Ms. Jiang said she was not aware of reports of Indian involvement in any projects, she stressed China enjoyed "indisputable sovereignty" over the South China Sea and its islands.
"We hope foreign countries will not get involved in the dispute," she said. "For countries outside the region, we hope they will respect and support countries in the region to solve this dispute through bilateral channels."
China and Vietnam are among at least ten countries that hold competing claims over the South China Sea and the islands located in its waters.
In June, tensions flared between China and Vietnam over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, following clashes between Chinese and Vietnamese boats.
External Affairs Minister Mr. Krishna will hold talks in Hanoi later this week. Among the issues slated for discussion, according to media reports, is an agreement for oil and gas exploration in two blocks over which Vietnam claims sovereignty, by ONGC Videsh.
China had reportedly voiced its objections to India about the projects, saying that any projects would be "illegal" as China claims sovereignty over the entire South China Sea.
India, however, is likely to go ahead with the projects in the two blocks, which Vietnam says it holds rights to under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In recent weeks, India, too, has raised concerns over Chinese projects in disputed territory — in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). China has rejected Indian concerns over this issue, stating that it viewed the dispute as one for India and Pakistan to solve.
Ms. Jiang said the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea "did not give any country the right to expand their own exclusive economic zone and continental shelf to other countries' territories". The convention, she said, did not negate "a country's right formed in history that has been consistently claimed".
Disputes between China, Vietnam and other countries that hold claims to the South China Sea have flared in recent months. While China's neighbours have blamed an increasingly assertive Chinese navy for stirring tensions, with recent clashes with both Vietnam and the Philippines, Chinese officials have pointed the finger at the United States for fanning the flames with its renewing of military alliances in the region.
Ahead of Mr. Krishna's visit, India has also stressed its strong support for the "freedom of navigation in international waters, including in the South China Sea", after the INS Airavat, on a recent goodwill visit to Vietnam, was asked over radio to leave "Chinese waters".
Keywords: India, China, South-China sea exploration
























That is exactly the point Rahul, what the West, in particular the US, is aiming to do, is to create rivalry between India and China. The most stupid thing for either of us to do, is to be used by them as cat's paws. Participation in US-Japan naval exercises in the Yellow Sea, along China's eastern sea-board, to seal off China within the so called "First Island Chain"; Jumping in to start oil exploration activities in disputed South China Sea waters where even UK's BP has seen it prudent to keep away from, all make us wonder whether a message is being sent through these actions. Our response to this message is: please do be alert to western machinations and avoid being used as America's cat's paws.
Don't forget Jinsheng, neither India nor China can benefit from a clash with each other. Only countries which are benefited upon the clash are westerns. So, don't fuel up your mind, that China can over power. Nowadays none of the international dispute is solely between two countries, it involves entire world. And you very well know that China is probably favoured by very few. Its better to work together to develop the region than wasting time and money on establishing dominance over other.
It is obvious none is able to counter the postulation I have put forward. KVR's postings proves the point: when you have no answer to a question, counter attack with invectives. Sad to see this lack of sophistication among some readers of The Hindu.
Chinese have no voice of their own. It is not worth arguing with Chinese.
Dear Jitendra Dutta, there is something about Indian democracy that has puzzled me and should be grateful to hear from you, as to how how the following conundrum is addressed. Every person living under a democratic system must have the right to cast his/her vote. In a city like Kolkota,there are large numbers of destitute street sleepers with no fixed address. Now, like in all countries, India must have voters' registries that record the voters and their addresses, to show the constituency for which they are voting. If such destitutes don't have any addresses, how do they get onto the voters' registry at all? In other word, street sleepers don't get to vote for the lack of valid address, which means that not everyone gets to vote - in particular the destitutes. I put to you Mr. Dutta, Indian democracy is ok for the middle and upper classes but excludes the very poor. Hows that for a postulation? The remaining space left is too short to talk of other issues.
This is inevitable. Disputes and confrontations will arise with time as economic condition all around the world worsens. Confrontations over natural gas and oil resources are mere the beginning; currency war and trade war are already on small scale, but this will be followed by real wars.
Dear Jinsheng, Unlike China, India is a democracy where people are free to express their views or fast in protest without the risk of being thrown in jail for indefinite period and without charges. Indian democracy is mature enough to take Lokpal agitation in strides and move on. China is engaged in many projects in the disputed areas of Kashmir in spite of Indian protests. Chinese navy freely patrols the Indian ocean region and China builds ports etc in India's neighbors Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar to name a few. China sells arms to India's neighbors Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. Under international laws China is within its rights as long as the countries concerned are in agreement. Indian companies also have the right to explore for oil in the South China sea areas under Vietnam jurisdiction. If China thinks those areas belong to it then it should take up the issue with Vietnam and raise it in the UN.
The comments of one of the readers, Jinsheng, is not to the point. Rather than proving as to how the territory of Vietnam belongs to China, he is trying to divert attention by drawing inference to Lokpal agitation. He conveniently forgets that Lokpal issue is of very recent origin and also skips about the silence of the Chinese Government.
If India feels strong enough to confront China in the South China Sea, come along, we will be waiting. But thats coming a long way to look for trouble don't you think? Is someone trying to divert attention from your LOKPAL agitation at home?
I dont get it... when we ask and our ministers asks direct questions the Chinese keep quite..When their news paper say something against india and stuff... and we ask them.. they reply saying its newspaper and thats not our view..
So my point is.. why are we idiots to react to their newspapers etc? Ignore them and if they want they will talk openly to our ministers and yes, not back door.. open in public in with press conference with cameras rolling. We live in democracy so its important that Press is invited and no back door talks should be held to back pat each other.
We should go ahead with our plans in co-ordination with Vietnam, provided our actions are as per international law approved by UN.
If China could explore the possibilities of extending its activities up to SriLanka, why not India to Vietnam. If any dispute pertaining to the island is pending in international fora, China may inform it through proper channel. Bullying a neighbour country is not a decent way to solve problems and keep cordiality among the member nations of the UN.
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