Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday called for an "open and inclusive dialogue," in the Indo-Pacific region, including the South china Sea, and with due regard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, such as New Delhi, with the support of the freedom of navigation, in-flight and unimpeded commerce in international waters, which is in line with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Singh's comments in a virtual talk on the 8th floor of the ASEAN Defense Ministers ' Meeting (ADMM) Plus, it came at a time when Beijing's aggressive attitude of the rich resources in the waters of the South china Sea, it has been drawing global attention to the region. China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan have competing claims to parts of the South china Sea is an important international trade route.
ADMM-Plus is an annual gathering of foreign and defence ministers from the 10 ASEAN (Association of South east Asian Nations) countries, and eight of the dialogue with the partner countries, mainly in Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Russia, and the United States of America (USA).
In his speech, Singh stressed on the need for the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue, and in compliance with the international standards.
Singh is the Chinese counterpart, was also present during the virtual meeting. “India has strengthened its cooperative engagements in the Indo-Pacific based on converging visions and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Premised upon the centrality of ASEAN, India supports utilisation of ASEAN-led mechanisms as important platforms for implementation of our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific,” he stated in the statement.
Singh's remarks come at a time when the Indian Navy has stepped up monitoring of activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), which, he believes that China will inevitably seek to enter in your quest to become a global power, as in the large parts of the disputed South china Sea, reported. “Maritime security challenges are a concern to India. The sea lanes of communication are critical for peace, stability, prosperity and development of the Indo-Pacific region,” Singh stated.
In India, it is the surveillance of China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea, and to take measures in order to ensure that the Chinese navy will not have to fight its way into the Indian Ocean, where the Indian and clean up will be regularly reviewed for any unusual activity.
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