Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Japan Coast Guard vessels sail along with a Chinese surveillance ship near disputed islands called Senkaku in Japan. File
| Photo Credit: AP

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Washington DC:

China’s naval deployments in the East China Sea and South China Sea are elevated but consistent with other large exercises in the past, a U.S. military official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The assessment contrasted with statements from Taiwan that described the deployments as the largest in nearly three decades.

“The PRC military activity is elevated in the region, consistent with levels we have seen during other large exercises,” the official said, using the country’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

China’s military has yet to comment and has not confirmed it is carrying out any exercises.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory over the island’s rejection, had been expected to launch drills to express its anger at President Lai Ching-te’s tour of the Pacific that ended on Friday, which included stopovers in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam.

But the U.S. official did not link the deployments to Lai’s travels.

“We do not see the activity in the East China Sea and South China Sea as a response to President Lai’s transit,” the official said.

“This activity is part of a broader increase in the PLA’s military posture and military exercises over the last several years. These activities are destabilizing and risk escalation.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Beijing:

China said Tuesday it was “verifying” claims by Japan of the first confirmed incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace.

Japan condemned the incursion as a “serious violation” of its sovereignty, saying Beijing was becoming “increasingly active”.

Japan, a close ally of Washington, said it had scrambled fighter jets after the two-minute incursion from 11:29 am (0229 GMT) on Monday by the Y-9 surveillance aircraft off the Danjo Islands in the East China Sea.

Asked about Tokyo’s claims, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said “The relevant Chinese departments are in the process of gathering information and verifying the situation”.

“The two sides have maintained communication through existing working channels,” he added.

“I would also like to emphasise here that China has no intention of intruding into the territorial airspace of any country,” Lin said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks at the opening session of 23rd IORA Council of Ministers as India assumes role of Vice Chair, in Colombo, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India on October 11 said a multilateral rules-based international order, along with sincere respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remains the foundation for reviving the Indian Ocean as a strong community, in a veiled attack on China which is flexing its muscles in the region.

Speaking at the 23rd Council of Ministers Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in Colombo, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also said that it is important to maintain the Indian Ocean as a free, open and inclusive space based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), as the Constitution of the Seas.

“We will continue our approach of contributing to build capacity and secure safety and security in the Indian Ocean region including as first responder and a net security provider,” Mr. Jaishankar said as India assumed the Vice-Chair role of IORA for 2023-25 at the crucial meeting.

“A multilateral rules-based international order, along with sincere respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remains the foundation for reviving the Indian Ocean as a strong community,” he said.

Explained | China’s moves in the Indian Ocean

He said that in the resurgence of Asia, and global rebalancing, the Indian Ocean holds a central position, playing a crucial role in the development and prosperity of the littoral nations, by supporting trade and sustaining livelihoods, offering immense possibilities of connectivity and resource utilisation.

“It is the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘the world is one family’ which can be a binding force to bring the IORA Member States together,” he said.

Mr. Jaishankar said that as the vice chair and a member of the Troika, India’s priorities are clear. “It is our effort to develop an Indian Ocean community that is stable and prosperous, strong and resilient, and which is able to cooperate closely within and to respond to happenings beyond the ocean,” he said.

“It is thus important to maintain the Indian Ocean as a free, open and inclusive space based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), as the Constitution of the Seas,” he said, adding that the spirit of 1971 that the Sri Lankan colleague referred to, should continue to guide our outlook, discouraging any hidden agendas to the contrary.

China has been flexing its muscles in the strategically vital region and is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS).

Also Read | India to share maritime info on vessels of interest with stakeholders

Mr. Jaishankar said that developmental issues, lack of robust connectivity, the burden of opaque and unsustainable debt generated by unviable projects, threats to social fabric posed by extremism and fundamentalism, dangers emanating from terrorism, natural disasters and climate change, all these are the challenges that we face.

“As the Vice-Chair for the next two years, India, the “vishwa mitra” or the world’s friend, a voice of the Global South, will work with IORA Member States to strengthen the institutional, financial and legal framework of IORA, towards realising the true potential of this dynamic grouping,” he said.

He said India’s specific focus will be in the areas of Maritime Safety & Security and Blue Economy as a coordinating country. India will also contribute to other priority and cross-cutting areas of IORA, as and when required, he added.

Mr. Jaishankar is among the 16 ministers attending the meeting which will also include the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, Iran, Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa.