India Says South China Sea Code Of Conduct Must Comply With UNCLOS
India on Thursday reiterated that any proposed Code of Conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea must comply with international maritime law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), amid reports of progress in negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
India also stressed that the proposed agreement must recognise the legitimate rights of countries that are not directly involved in the negotiations.
"Our position on this is very clear. This is a very important international waterway. So, whatever code of conduct is developed must be compliant with international maritime law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said.
Responding to a question at a media briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Manila for the India-ASEAN Summit and related meetings, Tandon said the agreement must also take into account the legitimate rights of non-participating countries.
He added that India was not aware of any further developments in the negotiations beyond the reported progress.
China and ASEAN have been negotiating the proposed code for more than a decade, seeking to establish guidelines to prevent confrontations in the strategically important waterway. Several ASEAN members, including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, have competing territorial claims with Beijing.
The South China Sea is a crucial international shipping route and is believed to hold substantial hydrocarbon resources. China's expansive sovereignty claims and growing military presence in the region have raised concerns among countries in the region and beyond.
According to reports, China and ASEAN conducted at least 10 major rounds of negotiations this year. However, despite some progress, the two sides are unlikely to finalise the agreement by the end of 2026, as previously envisaged.