Rajnath Singh takes veiled dig at China at ASEAN defence meet

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday upheld India’s commitment to “freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters” in a veiled counter to China’s continuing aggression in the South China Sea without naming the communist country.

Addressing the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Jakarta, Singh stressed on the need to promote dialogue and build consensus among the nations while adhering to international laws to settle maritime disputes.

Singh reiterated India’s commitment to freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the international waters in accordance with international laws including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The minister’s comment comes at a time when several ASEAN member countries have raised issues with China for Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims on the South China Sea that remains a key conduit for transportation of energy and trade in SouthEast Asia.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Singh met US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and had a quick discussion on how India and US could contribute together to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific.

The Singh-Lloyd engagement in Jakarta comes close on the heels of bilateral and 2+2 meetings in New Delhi last week where the Indian minister made a specific reference to “Chinese aggression” and stressed on the need to promote a “free and open” Indo-Pacific.

Singh also met his Indonesian and Vietnam counterparts Prabowo Subianto and General Phan Van Giang to take stock of the bilateral defence relations.

At the meeting, India proposed to co-chair an Expert Working Group on Counter-terrorism, recognising terrorism as a serious threat to international peace and security, including in the ASEAN region. The proposal was endorsed by ADMM-Plus as terrorism remains a serious concern to countries in the region.

While close engagement with ASEAN nations plays a key role in India’s maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific, New Delhi has also begun operating in the Atlantic with INS Sumedha completing a 31-days anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Guinea.

This is the second such patrol being undertaken by the Indian Navy in such a crucial maritime region after the maiden anti piracy patrol was undertaken by INS Tarkash in Sep – Oct 22. The region is critical for India as it is an important source for India’s energy requirements.

INS Sumedha’s deployment also ensured enhancing navy-to-navy connect with regional navies including Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Angola and Namibia. The warship made port calls at Dakar, Tema, Lagos and Luanda.