NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with US secretary of state Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the 19th East Asia Summit, where he expressed condolences for the loss of lives caused by Hurricane Milton.
19th East Asia Summit: ‘Restoration of peace and stability’
Addressing the 19th East Asia Summit, PM Modi emphasised the detrimental effects of ongoing global conflicts on the nations of the Global South and stressed the urgent need for the restoration of peace and stability in regions such as Eurasia and West Asia.
“The conflicts going on in different parts of the world are having the most negative impact on the countries of the Global South. Everyone wants that whether it is Eurasia or West Asia, peace and stability should be restored as soon as possible. I come from the land of Buddha, and I have repeatedly said that this is not the era of war. Solutions to problems cannot come from the battlefield. It is necessary to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and international laws,” the prime minister said, news agency ANI reported.
“Keeping a humanitarian approach, dialogue and diplomacy will have to be given priority. Fulfilling the responsibility of Vishwabhadhu, India will continue to contribute in every possible way in this direction,” he added.
21st ASEAN-India Summit: “Asian century”
Earlier on Thursday, addressing the 21st ASEAN-India Summit PM Modi had said that the 21st century is the “Asian century” that belongs to India and ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations). To strengthen connectivity and resilience, he proposed a 10-point plan, which included doubling the number of scholarships for Asean students at Nalanda University and reviewing the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025.
“We are neighbours, partners in the Global South, and a rapidly growing region in the world,” PM Modi had said.
US-ASEAN summit: China “increasingly dangerous”
Earlier, in the day while addressing the US-ASEAN summit in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, Blinken expressed concerns to Southeast Asian leaders about China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” activities in the disputed South China Sea. He pledged that the US would continue to defend freedom of navigation in this crucial sea trade route.
“We are very concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful activities in the South China Sea which have injured people, harm vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolutions of disputes,” Blinken said, filling in for President Joe Biden, during his opening remarks, Associated Press reported.
“The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation, and freedom of overflight in the Indo Pacific,” he added.
The summit, attended by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, took place in the wake of several violent incidents at sea between China and ASEAN members Philippines and Vietnam, heightening fears of a potential full-scale conflict arising from China’s increasingly assertive actions in the region.
The South China Sea, a vital waterway rich in fish, gas, and oil reserves, is claimed by several parties. China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire sea, while ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, along with Taiwan, also have overlapping claims.
Challenging China’s assertions
Approximately one-third of global trade passes through this sea. Despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling by a UN affiliated court in the Hague that invalidated its expansive claims, Beijing has refused to acknowledge the decision and has continued to build up and militarize the islands under its control.
Chinese and Philippine vessels have clashed multiple times this year, and Vietnam recently reported that Chinese forces assaulted its fishermen in the disputed waters.
Additionally, China has dispatched patrol vessels to areas claimed by Indonesia and Malaysia as part of their exclusive economic zones.
The US has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, but has deployed navy ships and fighter jets to patrol the waters, challenging China’s assertions in the region.