Tension rise in South China Sea, Rajnath Singh calls for nigotiation

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the Code of Conduct negotiations will lead to positive outcomes in the South China Sea as tension escalated in the waters, causing concern all the nations in the region and beyond.

The minister asserted that India supports freedom of navigation, over flight, and unimpeded commerce in these international waterways. Singh was referring to escalating territorial tensions in the South China Sea in recent weeks. China lays claim to nearly all of the South China Sea while other countries also claim parts of the region leading to territorial disputes in the region.

China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over the sea have antagonized competing claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Earlier this month, Malaysia scrambled jets to intercept Chinese aircraft it accused of breaching its airspace.