Indo-China border flag meeting. (Photo:PTI) Indo-China border flag meeting. (Photo:PTI)

China has cautioned India against accepting the visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister's call for New Delhi to play an active role in the South China Sea, saying on Tuesday that the dispute in the waters was to be resolved only by countries "directly involved". On a visit to New Delhi, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was quoted as saying that he hoped India, as a major power in the region, would "actively support" countries involved to solve the dispute peacefully.

Relations between China and Vietnam have recently been strained on account of the dispute, although China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, travelled to Hanoi this week - the same time that the Vietnamese Prime Minister was in New Delhi - with the aim, officials said, of bringing relations back on track.

Beijing, however, made it clear on Tuesday that even as it deployed an envoy to soothe ties with Hanoi, it would not tolerate any attempt by Vietnam to bring other countries, such as India, into the dispute. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told reporters at a briefing responding to a question, "With regard to the Vietnamese Prime Minister's call for India to support the peaceful resolution of the South China Sea, I want to point out that the dispute should be resolved through dialogue and consultations by countries directly involved on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law."

"This is in line with international laws and common practices," he said, "and is also the consensus reached by China and ASEAN countries in the DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.) Countries directly involved in the South China Sea dispute strive to resolve disputes through negotiation and consultation, and maintain regional peace and stability. Their efforts should be respected by relevant countries".

During the Vietnamese Prime Minister's visit to New Delhi, India has also been offered two oil fields for exploration in the South China Sea. China had, three years ago, objected to India's exploration in two blocks, claiming that parts of the blocks lay within the nine-dashed line reflecting China's claims. The Chinese Foreign Ministry took a more measured stance on the oil deals, saying it would not oppose the projects if the fields were beyond its claims.

China's "consistent" position was that it had "indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands in the South China Sea", Hong said. "Any lawful and justifiable exploration activity is fine by us. But if such activity undermines the sovereignty of China and interests of China, we are firmly opposed to this." Without directly referring to either Vietnam or India, he said China "wishes that all countries can do more things that are conducive to peace and stability in the South China Sea".

Even as the Vietnamese Prime Minister made these offers in New Delhi, his government has sought to mend ties with Beijing. On Monday, China's State Councillor Yang Jiechi held talks with the top Vietnamese leadership in Hanoi.

Both countries agreed that it was "the realistic need" to "improve bilateral relations", control disputes and enhance cooperation "to prevent maritime disputes from disturbing bilateral relations," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.