EAM S. Jaishankar attends 15th East Asia Summit, express concerns for actions in South China Sea

The External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar on November 14, 2020, took part in the 15th East Asia Summit. He noted the growing interest in the Indo-Pacific as an integrated and maritime organic space, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at its centre.

The summit was chaired by the Vietnam Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc along with all the 18 EAS countries participating in the virtual summit. During his address, EAM, S. Jaishankar also appreciated the synergy between ASEAN outlook and India’s Indo-Pacific Ocean’s initiative.

During the summit, the Ha Noi declaration, as well as four other Leaders’ statements on epidemic prevention and response, marine sustainability, the steady growth of regional economy and women, peace and security, were also adopted.

EAM @DrSJaishankar represented India at the 15th East Asia Summit.

Press release at : https://t.co/GZFhfoIpad pic.twitter.com/sL1RVwf3hX

— Anurag Srivastava (@MEAIndia) November 14, 2020

15th East Asia Summit: Highlights

• The leaders during the summit underlined the significance of cooperation for the effective, safe, and affordable access of vaccines for COVID-19.

• During the summit, the countries called for greater cooperation for keeping the global supply chains open for sustainable and expeditious economic recovery.

• International and regional issues like the Rakhine state, territorial issues in the South China Sea, and the situation in the Korean Peninsula were also discussed.

• The ways for strengthening the platform of the East Asia Summit were also discussed. Apart from this, to make it more responsive to the emerging challenges on its 15th anniversary was also on the table during the summit.

India during the 15th East Asia Summit:

• The External Affairs Minister underlined the requirement for greater international cooperation in the post-COVID-19 world for tackling the challenges across national boundaries such as terrorism, pandemics, and climate change.

• The East Asia Summit leaders were also briefed about India’s response to COVID-19. The minister also highlighted India’s efforts for supporting the international community.

• Jaishankar reiterated PM Modi’s commitment for making the COVID-19 vaccine accessible and affordable for all nations.

• On Indo-Pacific policies, the Union Minister informed that India has been equally positive about the Indo-pacific policies announced by other nations. He added that harmonizing various perspectives will never be a challenge if there is a commitment to international cooperation.

India on the South China Sea:

The External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar during the summit also referred to the issue of the South China Sea. He expressed concerns about the actions and the incidents that erode trust in the region. The Minister also noted that the code of conduct negotiations must not be predisposed to the legitimate interest of third parties and must be fully consistent with UNCLOS- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Indo-pacific region has been largely viewed as the area that comprises the Indian Ocean and western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.

The statement by EAM on the South China Sea was because of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and its efforts of advancing in the Indian Ocean that seems to have challenged the established rules-based system.