China lashes out at ‘third party’ India for ‘stirring up trouble’ in South China Sea

On Monday, the Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on a visit to India, announced that his  country is entering into a strategic partnership with India, the core part of the pact being defence cooperation. Both countries also released a declaration that expressed “concern for the situation in the South China Sea, particularly with regard to coercive and aggressive actions that impact on regional peace and stability.”

This came as India and the Philippines’ Naval forces began a joint drill in the South China Sea, wherein they engaged in joint maneuvers.

The renewed ties between the countries clearly underpinned the shared concern about China’s growing maritime capability, and Beijing’s response came soon after. Without naming India, its Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said disputes over territory and maritime rights and interests should be settled through negotiation and consultation by countries directly concerned. “No third party is in any position to interfere,” Gao added, when asked about the India-Philippines joint exercises in the South China Sea.

But the Chinese state mouthpiece didn’t mince words. An article that appeared in the Chinese state-backed ‘Global Times’ took a swipe at Manila for its partnership with New Delhi.

Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, took a swipe at both India and the Philippines, stating Manila’s attempts to rope in outside parties are both unwise and counterproductive. “India’s interference, as an extraterritorial actor, is neither reasonable nor responsible,” Xu told Global Times, adding that India’s involvement only escalates tensions in the South China Sea and contradicts the so-called ‘peaceful and constructive means’ mentioned in the declaration.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army sternly opposed the drills. It called the war games a “destabilising move” and slammed the Philippines for “bringing in external forces to stir up trouble in the South China Sea.”

It said the forces “remain on high alert”, adding that “any military activity aimed at hyping up the South China Sea will be fully monitored.” Expectedly, Chinese navy ships, including a guided-missile destroyer, shadowed the Indian and the Philippines vessels. Chinese ships were spotted about 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) from one of two Philippine navy frigates.

The strategic partnership has angered China. Reason: India is the island nation’s fifth strategic partner, alongside Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Vietnam. Of the five, all except Australia have border disputes with China.

Benjamin Blandin, an expert in maritime security and research fellow at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies, told South China Morning Post that the latest patrols meant India had joined the three other Quad nations in getting involved in the maritime row “at a significant level”.

“To China, all lights seem to be turning red, and no improvement is in sight … which might lead China to be even more aggressive against its direct neighbours,” Blandin said.

“India’s stance also means that it has decided to go beyond simple tactical manoeuvres and passage exercises,” Nishant Rajeev, a senior analyst at the South Asia Program in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told South China Morning Post.