India has reiterated that it stands for freedom of navigation and overflight, unhindered lawful commerce and adherence to international law for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. Speaking at the 11th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Forum in Vientiane, Laos, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the upcoming code of conduct to regulate maritime activity in the South China Sea needs to be in line with international law.
The Defense Minister said that the Code should not adversely affect the legitimate rights and interests of those nations which are not involved in these deliberations. “The code must be fully consistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982,” he said.
Singh said, “India believes that real, long-term solutions to global problems can be achieved only when nations engage constructively, respect each other’s viewpoints and pursue common goals in a spirit of cooperation.” Let’s work towards.”
Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while addressing the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the 14th East Asia Summit in Laos, had also said that there should be a “strong and effective” code of conduct that is “consistent with international law and This should not “prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of nations, not participate in the discussion”, he also stressed that the sea lines of communication (SLOC) passing through the South China Sea are part of the Indo-Pacific region. Are important for peace and prosperity.
dispute over south china sea
The South China Sea is a semi-enclosed water channel bordered by Vietnam to the west, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam to the east, Indonesia and Malaysia to the south, and China and Taiwan to the north. According to a report, it is located on the major international shipping route between the Indian Ocean and Northeast Asia, including ports in Korea, China, Russia and Japan, and approximately US$5.3 trillion worth of cargo transits through the South China Sea annually. . China Power.
According to a BBC report, the South China Sea also has rich fishing grounds and more than half of the world’s fishing vessels operate in this area. Countries surrounding the water body have struggled for control of the area for centuries with competing claims, but tensions have increased in recent years.
Countries have claimed islands and various areas of the sea, such as the Paracels and the Spratlys. Although largely uninhabited, there may be rich natural resources around the Paracels and Spratlys.
China’s claim
Of all the countries surrounding the South China Sea, China reportedly claims sovereignty over the largest portion of the area and demarcates it by its so-called “nine-dash line”. In 1947, Beijing released a map detailing its claims and emphasizing that its authority over the territory dates back centuries, when the Paracel and Spratly island chains were considered integral parts of the Chinese nation. The nine-dash line covering almost the entire South China Sea on Chinese maps does not include any coordinates, the BBC reports.
Taiwan mirrors these claims and says that the South China Sea islands are part of the territory of the Republic of China.
Dispute over China’s claim
Vietnam disputes Beijing’s account and says China never claimed sovereignty over the islands before the 1940s. Considering Vietnam, both the Paracels and the Spratlys have been actively ruled since the 17th century. It also claims that it has documents to prove it.
Philippines is also another major contender in this region. The Philippines cites its geographical proximity to the Spratly Islands as the main basis of its claim. The Philippines also claims Scarborough Shoal, which China claims as its territory.
Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the South China Sea that fall within their economic exclusion zone, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.
UN decision and code of conduct
In 2013, the Philippines turned to legal arbitration against China’s claims over the South China Sea. On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines, determining that key elements of China’s claims, including its nine-dash line and recent land reclamation activities, were unlawful. The UN decision was based on UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) – considered the global constitution for the sea, signed by 162 countries, including China.
As expected, China refused to accept the UN decision, saying it was “invalid and void”.
Now, a “code of conduct” (CoC) in the South China Sea is being discussed between six countries – the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei – which are parties to the maritime boundary dispute.
Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore and Thailand, which are also part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), are part of the talks, along with other member states – Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. to code.
Negotiations on the COC have been fluctuating for two decades. Last July, according to a report by The Interpreter, a three-year deadline to conclude the talks was agreed upon to expedite a deal.
World’s share in results
The COC on the South China Sea will affect India and many other countries like the US, UK, Japan and Australia. China’s claims threaten the sea lines of communication (SLOC), which are vital sea lanes that facilitate trade and the movement of naval forces.
To protect its political, security, and economic interests in the region, the United States has challenged China’s assertive territorial claims and land reclamation efforts by conducting freedom of navigation operations and increasing support for Southeast Asian partners.
To counter China’s aggressive presence, Japan has also sold military ships and equipment to the Philippines and Vietnam to improve their maritime security capability and deter Chinese aggression.
