India
Prime Minister Modi meets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit and condoles the lives lost due to Cyclone Milton – Times of India
19th East Asia Summit: ‘Restoring Peace and Stability’
Speaking at the 19th East Asia Summit, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the damaging impact of ongoing global conflicts on the nations of the Global South and stressed the urgent need to restore peace and stability in regions such as Eurasia and West Asia.
“The conflicts taking place in different parts of the world have the most negative impact on the countries of the South. Everyone wants peace and stability to be restored as quickly as possible, whether in Eurasia or West Asia. I come from the land of Buddha, and I have said repeatedly that this is not the age of war. Solutions to problems cannot come from the battlefield. It is necessary to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and international laws,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
“Maintaining a humanitarian approach, dialogue and diplomacy will have to be a priority. India will fulfill the responsibility of Vishwabhadhu and continue to contribute in this direction in all possible ways,” he added.
21st ASEAN-India Summit: “Asian Century”
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the 21st ASEAN-India Summit, had said that the 21st century is the “Asian century” that belongs to India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). To strengthen connectivity and resilience, he proposed a 10-point plan, including doubling the number of scholarships for Asean students at Nalanda University and revision of the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025.
“We are neighbors, partners in the South and a fast-growing region of the world,” Prime Minister Modi had said.
US-ASEAN summit: China “increasingly dangerous”
Earlier in the day, Blinken expressed concerns to Southeast Asian leaders over China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” activities in the disputed South China Sea during his speech at the US-ASEAN summit in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. . He pledged that the U.S. would continue to defend freedom of navigation on this crucial maritime trade route.
“We are deeply concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful activities in the South China Sea, which have injured people, damaged ASEAN ships and contradicted commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” it said. Blinken during his opening in place of President Joe Biden. comments, the 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, raising fears of a possible full-scale conflict if consequence of 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 claims sovereignty over almost the entire sea, while ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, along with Taiwan, also have overlapping claims.
Disputing China’s claims
About a third of world trade passes through this sea. Despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling by a UN-affiliated court in The Hague that invalidated his sweeping claims, Beijing has refused to recognize the decision and continued to build up and militarize the islands under its control.
Chinese and Philippine ships have clashed several times this year, and Vietnam recently reported that Chinese forces have attacked its fishermen in the disputed waters.
In addition, China has sent 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 naval ships and fighter jets to patrol the waters, questioning Chinese claims in the region.
