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oundtable • non-claimant perspectives on the south china sea<br />
the region. 3 New Delhi, however, remains acutely conscious of its official<br />
position of neither being party to the disputes nor taking sides. 4 Regardless<br />
of the magnitude of nautical developments in the region, India’s security<br />
establishment fears that the perception of abandonment of its neutrality<br />
might be construed as strategic support for the United States—still the<br />
principal source of resistance to Chinese unilateralism in the South China<br />
Sea, but whose deterrence strategy, Indian analysts suspect, could spark an<br />
intense reaction from Beijing.<br />
Yet there is no mistaking a sense of exasperation in New Delhi with<br />
China’s maritime practices in East Asia, which many officials privately<br />
regard as being arbitrary and unreasonable. The aggressiveness with which<br />
China has sought to protect its turf in the South China Sea has led Indian<br />
strategists to believe that, unless sustained pressure is brought to bear upon<br />
China, a negotiated solution to the dispute is unattainable. 5 Not surprisingly,<br />
in at least three ASEAN-centric forums since the U.S. naval patrols, Indian<br />
leaders have emphasized the need for freedom of navigation, the right to<br />
passage and overflight, and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance<br />
with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).<br />
In November 2015, Prime Minister Narenda Modi made a reference<br />
to the South China Sea conflict in two successive events—at the thirteenth<br />
ASEAN-India summit and during a public lecture in Singapore—suggesting<br />
the need for a mechanism that could enhance cooperation in maritime<br />
security, counterpiracy, and humanitarian and disaster relief. 6 India also<br />
was widely reported to have snubbed China during the third meeting of the<br />
India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation in New Delhi<br />
3 Ajai Shukla, “Echoing Modi-Obama Agreement, Parrikar Calls for Freedom of Navigation in South<br />
China Sea,” Business Standard, November 4, 2015 u http://www.business-standard.com/article/<br />
economy-policy/echoing-modi-obama-agreement-parrikar-calls-for-freedom-of-navigation-insouth-china-sea-115110401068_1.html.<br />
4 Rumel Dahiya and Jagannath Panda, “A Tale of Two Disputes: China’s Irrationality and India’s<br />
Stakes,” Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, Policy Brief, June 29, 2015 u http://www.idsa.<br />
in/policybrief/ATaleofTwoDisputesChinasIrrationalityandIndiasStakes_rdahiya_290615.<br />
5 C. Raja Mohan, “Raja-Mandala: Why Delhi Must Not Be at Sea,” Indian Express,<br />
November 3, 2015 u http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/<br />
raja-mandala-china-philippines-maritime-dispute-why-delhi-must-not-be-at-sea.<br />
6 Prashanth Chintala, “At ASEAN, Modi Brings Up South China Sea Issue,” Hindu, November 21,<br />
2015 u http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/13th-aseanindia-summit-modi-in-malaysiarefers-to-south-china-sea/article7903998.ece;<br />
and “In Singapore Lecture, PM Modi Alludes to<br />
South China Sea Dispute,” NDTV, November 23, 2015 u http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/<br />
oceans-should-not-become-new-theatres-of-contests-pm-modi-1246663.<br />
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