New Delhi/Singapore: In what seems to be another veiled dig at China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Friday that India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have relations “free from contests and claims” and believe in sovereign equality of all nations irrespective of size, and support for free and open pathways of commerce and engagement. The comment was made in an Oped article written by PM Modi for a Singapore-based newspaper.
It’s no secret that China has maritime disputes with several of the Asean nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines, with Beijing seen to be bullying the smaller Asean nations. Observers feel that to give India an edge in the south-east Asian region, PM Modi has tried to contrast the peaceful Indo-Asean ties with the often-turbulent relations between China and Asean countries which have points of tension due to various maritime disputes.
“India and Asean nations have relations free from contests and claims. We have a common vision for the future, built on commitment to inclusion and integration, belief in sovereign equality of all nations irrespective of size, and support for free and open pathways of commerce and engagement,” PM Modi was quoted by news agency reports from Singapore, as saying in the article. “We advance our broad-based partnership through 30 mechanisms.
With each Asean member, we have growing diplomatic, economic and security partnership. We work together to keep our seas safe and secure,” he wrote.
