External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar of India stated in Manila that his country supports the sovereignty of the Philippines. This statement prompted a response from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which urged “third countries” to refrain from “interfering.”
As part of a five-day trip spanning three nations—Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia—Mr. Jaishankar visited Manila on Tuesday, where he had meetings with Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo and President Bongbong Marcos of the Philippines.
“After discussions with Mr. Manalo, I would like to take this opportunity to firmly reiterate India’s support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty,” Mr. Jaishankar said, addressing the media in his opening remarks. In remarks that were interpreted as directed at China, whose Navy and Coast Guard have regularly been accused of violating sovereign waters of other countries and claiming islands, he declared that the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) was “the constitution of the seas” and that all parties “must adhere to it in its entirety, both in letter and in spirit.” Numerous Asian neighbors, particularly those in the South China Sea (SCS) region like Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, have expressed disapproval of China’s efforts.
The External Affairs Minister also praised the two nations’ marine cooperation during a visit to the Indian Coast Guard pollution-control ship ICGS Samudra Paheredar on Tuesday, which is now making a port call in Manila through Thursday.
The visit by Mr. Jaishankar to Manila coincided with heightened tensions between the Chinese and Philippine fleets due to the Chinese Coast Guard’s aggressive actions against a Filipino ship that was carrying supplies for their troops aboard the BRP Sierra Madre ship in the Spratly Islands. The Chinese envoy was called by the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to express disapproval of the acts, which included the Chinese Coast Guard ship physically obstructing the Philippine ship and firing a water cannon at it, injuring three of its soldiers.
In a matter of hours, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs severely condemned Mr. Jaishankar’s remarks made in Manila, urging both the Philippines and India to “respect China’s territorial sovereignty.”
“Maritime disputes are matters involving different nations. According to Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “third parties have no right to interfere whatsoever.” “We implore pertinent stakeholders to confront the facts and truth regarding the South China Sea matter, and honor China’s territorial sovereignty, maritime rights, and interests, as well as the endeavors of neighboring nations to maintain the South China Sea’s peace and stability,” he continued.
Requests for a reaction to the comments made by the Chinese MFA were not answered by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Aside from the ongoing dispute, Beijing is reportedly keeping a careful eye on India’s planned sale of Brahmos missiles to the Philippines, with delivery scheduled to start soon.
Requests for a reaction to the comments made by the Chinese MFA were not answered by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Aside from the ongoing dispute, Beijing is reportedly keeping a careful eye on India’s planned sale of Brahmos missiles to the Philippines, with delivery scheduled to start soon.
Mr. Jaishankar said that he spoke with Mr. Manalo about a number of other areas in which the two nations are cooperating more, such as trade, building digital infrastructure capacity, regional issues like the Indo-Pacific, Myanmar, and the conflict in Ukraine, and cooperation in fora like the UN and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). He claimed to have given the Philippines Minister an update on the Indian Navy presence in the Red Sea to combat piracy and the Houthi militia.