In a thinly veiled reference to China, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and its dialogue partners to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions that complicate the situation.
Singh’s remarks, made during a virtual gathering of the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) that was joined by his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe, came against the backdrop of the India-China standoff in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“As we enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoiding actions that may further complicate the situation, will go a long way in bringing sustained peace to the region,” Singh said in his address.
He also expressed appreciation for the central role of Asean-led forums, including ADMM Plus, in promoting dialogue and engagement for a pluralistic and cooperative security order in Asia amid the “current regional environment with visible strains”.India has accused China of unilaterally attempting to change the status quo along the LAC since April this year.
Following a clash in June that killed 20 Indian soldiers and caused unspecified Chinese casualties, both countries have mobilised tens of thousands of troops that have dug in along the LAC for the harsh winter.
Singh had met Wei on the margins of a meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Moscow in September and there have also been meetings and contacts between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, senior military commanders and diplomats but the two sides haven’t been able to agree on disengagement on the LAC.ADMM Plus, which comprises the 10 members of Asean and its eight dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US, was formed in 2010 to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace and development in the region. This year’s meeting was chaired by Vietnam.Noting the observance of the 10th anniversary of ADMM Plus, Singh said field training and table-top exercises help members of the grouping understand each other and maintain peace in the region. “Our ability, to collectively respond to challenges in the region based on the fundamentals of freedom, inclusivity and openness will define our future,” he said.
“Threats to the rules-based order, maritime security, cyber-related crimes and terrorism...remain the challenges that we need to address as a forum,” he added.ADMM Plus has grown into a “fulcrum of peace, stability and rules-based order in this region” and India’s concepts of “vasudhaive kutumbakam” or “the whole world is one family” and “sarve bhavantu sukhinah” or “all be at peace” emphasise inclusivity, equality and openness, Singh said.
The Asean outlook on the Indo-Pacific underscores the “impetus to cultivate strategic trust and continuously promote Asean centrality in the regional architecture”, he added.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *