Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a strong message from the dais of the ASEAN-India Summit 2015. He called for a new global resolve and new strategies to combat terrorism, without balancing it against political considerations and said no country should use or support terrorism.
He also made a passing reference to the disputes in the South China Sea.
The Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN)-India Summit for 2015 was held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Mr. Modi has also emphasised the need for evolving specific plans of cooperation in maritime security, counter-piracy and humanitarian and disaster relief.
India and ASEAN
- The ASEAN – India Summit is an international meeting between India and ASEAN countries.
- The summit is held every year. This was the 13th of such summit. Last year the it was held in Myanmar
- The meeting aims to increase the co-operation between India and ASEAN member countries.
- India shares maritime border with ASEAN. ASEAN countries are regarded to be important for India in order to counter China in South Asian Geopolitics.
What is the South China Sea Issue?
It is the dispute among China and several other countries surrounding south China Sea over the claims of islands and maritime border in the region.
The countries involved in the dispute are:
- Brunei
- the People’s Republic of China
- the Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Malaysia
- the Philippines
- Vietnam
Regions of Dispute
There are disputes concerning both the Spratly and the Paracel islands, as well as maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin and elsewhere. There is a further dispute in the waters near the Indonesian Natuna Islands.
Interests behind the dispute
The interests of different nations involved in the dispute are as follows:
- Acquiring fishing areas around the two archipelagos
- The potential exploitation of suspected crude oil and natural gas under the waters of various parts of the South China Sea.
- The strategic control of important shipping lanes.
