Fragile security situation in South China Sea poses danger to good order at sea: Navy Chief
South China Sea, in addition to violations of established codes of conduct, poses a clear danger to «good order» and «discipline» at sea, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Wednesday, in an oblique reference to China's military assertiveness in the region. There have been growing global concerns over China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons.
Several countries in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei have counterclaims.
«The fragile security situation in the South China Sea, in addition to the happening of violations of established Codes of Conduct or Confidence Building Measures, poses a clear and present danger to good order and discipline at sea,» Admiral Kumar said.
He was speaking at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD), which is an annual apex-level international conference of the Indian Navy aimed at addressing «holistic» maritime security issues in the region.
The ASEAN countries have been insisting on a binding code of conduct (COC) on the South China Sea largely in view of China's consistent attempts to assert its expansive claims over the region.
In a ruling in 2016, the permanent court of arbitration at the Hague dismissed Beijing's claim to much of the South China Sea. China, however, rejected the verdict.
In his remarks, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan highlighted the historical as well as contemporary salience of the Indo-Pacific and talked about India's vision and perspective for the region.
