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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider India reaffirms support to PH in the South China Sea dispute

India reaffirms support to PH in the South China Sea dispute

Published Mar 26, 2024 08:06 am

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday, March 26, reiterated India’s support for the Philippines regarding its territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

India_Jaishankar.webpIndia’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (AFP photo)

Without mentioning China or the Beijing-rejected 2016 Arbitral Award, the official said that prosperity in the contested region depends on the adherence to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“We are also convinced that the progress and prosperity of this region is best served by strong adherence to rules-based order,” he said during a joint press conference with Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Stressing that UNCLOS “is particularly important” as the constitution of the seas, he urged that “all parties must adhere to it in its entirety both in letter and in spirit.”

“I take this opportunity to formally reiterate India’s support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty,” he added.

But Jaishankar was also quick to clarify that the defense cooperation with the Philippines is “not necessarily linked to a particular situation.”

“Regarding defense, I would say you know you need to look at that cooperation on its own merits,” he said, adding that with the two countries' growing relations, they would look at various "new areas of cooperation and certainly defense and security is one of them.”

Manalo, for his part, explained that the cooperation is growing because both countries are “exploring other ways where we can contribute to the security of both our countries as as well to ensure that the Indo-Pacific region remains open and peaceful.”

“This is going to be an ongoing process as our relations in this area grow stronger and stronger,” he added.

Addressing the South China Sea disputes, the DFA chief maintained that the Philippines has “consistently reasserted our rights in accordance with the international law.”

The Philippines and China are engaged in a verbal spat regarding recent aggressive actions near the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, where the BRP Sierra Madre was deliberately grounded to act as a military outpost.

Philippine vessels on a resupply mission have been water-cannoned by the China Coast Guard (CCG), intensifying further the decades-long dispute over the resource-rich waters.

Related Tags

Indian External Affairs Minister UNCLOS Enrique Manalo South China Sea
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