India, Japan review security situation in Indo-Pacific region

New Delhi: In what will exert  pressure on China, India and Japan “discussed developments in the South China Sea” and  “reiterated their commitment to working together towards a free and open Indo-Pacific” during defence minister Rajnath Singh’s two-day visit to Tokyo.

The defence minister and Japan defence minister Takeshi Iwaya held the annual defence ministerial meeting on Monday in Tokyo.

“The ministers recognised that peace and stability of the Indian and Pacific Oceans are crucial for ensuring prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and the entire world, and had a frank exchange of views on the current security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the South China Sea,” said the joint press statement on Japan-India annual defence ministerial dialogue.

Both sides reiterated their “unwavering commitment to working together towards a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

This joint statement comes just days after India had said that South China Sea is part of the global commons and “India firmly stands for the freedom of navigation and over-flight, and unimpeded lawful commerce, in the international waters.”