India Demands South China Sea Code Comply With UNCLOS
India asserts that any South China Sea code of conduct between ASEAN and China must follow international maritime law and respect non-participating nations.
The Government of India has asserted that any code of conduct developed between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China for the South China Sea must comply with international maritime law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized that the agreement must respect the legitimate rights of countries not participating in the negotiations.
These statements follow reports of progress in negotiations between China and ASEAN to establish a pact aimed at preventing confrontations in the contested waterway. While the two parties have reportedly held at least 10 major rounds of talks this year, they are not expected to conclude negotiations within the current year as previously agreed. The disputes center on China's sweeping sovereignty claims, which are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
India's position comes ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Manila, Philippines, scheduled for November 16 to 18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the event, which includes the East Asia Summit. Other expected attendees include US President Donald Trump, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
