Flash-point: China issues warning to India on disputes in the South China Sea

November 22, 2011 — NEW DELHI – China on Monday said “outside forces” and “foreign companies” should not be involved in the South China Sea dispute. In a direct warning to India, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said, “We don’t hope to see outside forces involved in the South China Sea dispute and do not want to see foreign companies engage in activities that will undermine China’s sovereignty and interest.” This was in response to a question on the discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the East Asia summit in Bali last week. Meanwhile, South China Sea will feature prominently in a new dialogue between India and Australia starting on Tuesday. The bilateral dialogue on East Asia will include exchanges on maritime security and North Korea as well. The Indian side will be led by Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary in MEA, and Peter Rowe, senior diplomat in the Australian foreign ministry. With the uranium issue out of the way, India will also play host to Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith in early December, as bilateral ties move into higher gear. China’s assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea has sent all other affected countries pushing back by turning the issue into an international maritime problem. This was not on the Chinese agenda, because China wants to negotiate bilaterally with countries like Philippines and Vietnam. With India marking a prominent presence in the South China Sea, Beijing is deeply unhappy. India is concerned about China’s growing presence in PoK, a concern openly acknowledged by the Army brass.–The Times of India 

The United States has said it will provide a second warship to the ill-equipped Philippine military as it confronts an aggressive Chinese navy in the tense territorial maritime disputes in the South China Sea. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton assured Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin during talks in Manila last week that Washington would give its longtime ally a second Coast Guard cutter virtually for free sometime next year. The first second-hand cutter from the U.S. Coast Guard sailed into Manila in August and became the most modern vessel in the dilapidated Philippine fleet. Clinton assured the Philippine military of intensified U.S. assistance Wednesday when the allies marked the 60th anniversary of the signing of their Mutual Defense Treaty aboard a U.S. naval destroyer in Manila. –Business Week

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