According to Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, it was said by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Saturday that the sea lines of communication through the South China Sea are "lifetime" for the Indo-Pacific region. He added that a substantive and effective code of conduct was required to secure these important maritime routes.
Speaking at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Vientiane, capital of Laos, Jaishankar remembered that next year the EAS process will complete two decades. He reiterated India's commitment to strengthening the EAS framework.
Jaishankar reiterated India's commitment to its Act East Policy for supporting ASEAN unity and centrality. "Sea Lines of Communication passing through the South China Sea are critical for peace, stability, prosperity, and development of the Indo-Pacific region," he said. "Code of Conduct should be substantive and effective, consistent with international law, not prejudice legitimate rights and interests of nations not party to discussions," he added.
These comments are all the more remarkable as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is attending the same summit in Vientiane. Resource-rich, the South China Sea is considered a potential global flashpoint. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, but the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have rival claims there.
In his speech, Jaishankar also pressed for de-escalation and restraint in Gaza and noted that India has been continuing all its humanitarian efforts for Palestine. He expressed concern over attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and assured that India was contributing actively towards ensuring maritime safety and security.
On the Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar reiterated that India believes in dialogue and diplomacy. He further added that recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to both President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, so India will always be there in any form to help out in whatever way possible. He shared a post on X to this effect.
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