London:
India has denied that a Chinese warship confronted an Indian naval vessel shortly after it left Vietnamese waters in late July.
A report in the Financial Times claimed that the Chinese ship demanded that INS Airawat, an amphibious assault vessel, identify itself and explain its presence in the South China Sea.
The newspaper said that the Indian warship was in international waters after completing a scheduled port call in Vietnam.
"Media reports of INS Airavat being stopped by a Chinese vessel in South China Sea are incorrect. There was noconfrontation with any vessel. The INS Airavat was on a scheduled visit to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries in July 2011," a statement from the Navy said.
A Pentagon report last week had said China was rapidly building up its surface and underwater naval capabilities as it places growing priority on securing shipping lanes and mineral rich areas in the South China Sea.