China should comply with international law in the South China Sea

New Delhi: India, for the first time, has taken a tough stance against China, which spreads instability in the South China Sea region through its unbridled activities. Moreover, India has said that China should follow international rules in the South China Sea. This demand raised by India in the joint statement issued with the Philippines has increased pressure on China. In addition, the Philippines and other countries in the South China Sea region have demanded that India play a greater role in this maritime region. It has become clear that India is responding to the demand of the small countries in the South China Sea that expect cooperation from India to stand against a powerful country like China.

Philippines Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo has visited India and met with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar. The discussions involved cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, development, health, pharmaceuticals, tourism, agriculture, space research and defence. After this discussion, the Foreign Ministers of both countries issued a joint statement against the issue of instability in the South China Sea region. China’s aggression has caused instability in the region, harming the Philippines and other countries in the maritime zone. Also, the Philippines appealed to the International Court of Justice in 2016 against China’s sensational claim of ownership of the entire marine area.

Moreover, the Philippines had also presented historical documents proving that China’s claim on their maritime territory was false and that the Philippines had the right to it. Besides, the International Court of Justice confirmed this and gave a decision against China by declaring this area belonged to the Philippines. China had also announced that it would not accept the International Court’s decision. Also, major countries worldwide have criticised China over this issue. In such a situation, the Foreign Ministers of India and the Philippines issued a joint statement demanding that China follow international law.

Besides, the joint statement also states that India and the Philippines have similar policies towards a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

India had not taken a clear anti-China stance in the South China Sea dispute until now. However, the Foreign Minister said India was watching this dispute very closely. However, in a joint statement issued with the Philippines, India drew the world’s attention for the first time by warning China and adopting a stance against it. Through this, India has warned China, which is challenging India’s interests, and indicated that India’s China-related position henceforth would be increasingly aggressive.