India flays China without naming it for aggression in South China Sea

Obliquely criticizing China whose aggression imperils peace in the South China Sea, India has expressed its displeasure over the "actions and incidents" which "erode" trust in the surrounding region.

In an address at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS), Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also talked about the Indo-Pacific and noted the growing interest in the region as an integrated and organic maritime space with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) at its center.

Jaishankar appreciated the synergy between the Asean outlook and India's Indo-Pacific Ocean initiative.

“India was equally positive about the Indo-Pacific policies announced recently by other nations. Harmonizing various perspectives would never be a challenge if there is the commitment to international cooperation,” an official press release issued by the Ministry said.

“The Summit discussed ways to strengthen the EAS platform and to make it more responsive to emerging challenges on its 15th anniversary and adopted the Ha Noi Declaration. The leaders underlined the importance of cooperation in ensuring safe, effective and affordable access to Covid-19 vaccines. They called for greater cooperation in keeping the global supply chains open for an expeditious and sustainable economic recovery,” the press release said. “Regional and international issues such as South China Sea, the situation in the Korean peninsula, and Rakhine state were also discussed. Besides Ha Noi Declaration, the summit also adopted four other leaders’ statements on marine sustainability; epidemics prevention and response; women, peace and security; and steady growth of the regional economy,” the press release added..