China 's coercive and brinkmanship behaviour in the drilling rig incident in Vietnam ’s waters is provocative and irresponsible, an Indian scholar has affirmed.

Dr. Subhash Kapila, senior fellow at South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG), made the remark on May 9 while answering Vietnam News Agency correspondent in New Delhi on the case that China has positioned an oil rig together with many escort vessels deep into Vietnam ’s continental shelf, violating the country’s sovereignty.

“It is unbecoming of an Asian Power professing to be a 'responsible stakeholder' in Asian security and stability,” he said. “It should also be an eye-opener for the United States which continues to perceive that China can be brought around to act responsibly in terms of Asian security and stability”.

It is also a wake-up call for AEAN to come alive and united to cope with the 'China Threat' which is likely to engulf the whole of Southeast Asia , the scholar added.

He stated that aggression, political and military coercion and brinkmanship by China against its neighbours on issues which can be resolved by dialogue is highly condemnable and needs to be condemned by the international community.

According to Dr. Kapila, maritime security and stability of Vietnam ’s waters can best be catered by Vietnam itself by 'fast track' expansion of its naval and maritime capabilities.

“ Vietnam has to expand its naval forces and bring them to a level which could impose minimum deterrence against Chinese intrusiveness in its waters,” he advised.

Bringing peace and stability to the East Sea region needs a joint effort of ASEAN as a regional community along with the US and the Asia Pacific community.

“What is now required is that Vietnam prevails over ASEAN to highlight in regional and international forums that China's record in the East Sea is now acquiring menacing contours and is a grave threat to Southeast Asia’s security and stability,” he stressed.

The same day, India-Vietnam Solidarity Committee President Geetesh Sharma said the expansionist and hegemonic policy of the Chinese Government is not a hidden agenda. China has demonstrated it time and again to bully the neighboring countries by intrusion into their sovereignty and the latest example is Vietnam .

”We appeal to the Government of China to exercise restraint and come to negotiation table abiding by the international law and precedence,” he said, adding peace in the Asian region is in peril and so all peace-loving forces should be united, come forward and condemn unequivocally such acts of intrusion.

The Government and non-governmental organisations in Vietnam should utilise all the available platforms to apprise the global community of the situation and ensure that the peace in the region is not disturbed and that justice is done to Vietnam, he said./.