IN STERN MESSAGE TO CHINA, INDIA BACKS PRIMACY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

The point on respecting international law was included in the joint communique that was issued after the Russia-india-china meeting.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised on the need for all nations to “respect international law” during a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Russia-indiachina (RIC) mechanism here on Friday, in what is being seen as a clear message to China. Sources told The Sunday Guardian that Dr Jaishankar flagged the “primacy of international law” with a view to sending a “meaningful and strong message” to his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi in the meeting. He emphatically called for respect for international law “obviously with Beijing in mind”. The point on respecting international law was included in the joint communique that was issued after the meeting.

“The Ministers reiterated that a multi-polar and rebalanced world on sovereign equality of nations and respect for international and reflecting contemporary realities requires strengthening and reforming of the multilateral system,” said the joint communique. A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official told The Sunday Guardian that the 18th round of talks between RIC Foreign Ministers provided India with a significant opportunity to give this message to China, which flagrantly violates international laws and bends the law to suit its agenda of expansionism. To a question, MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said that no bilateral issues could figure during the virtual meeting as it was a different mechanism but important regional issues were discussed. However, Bagchi dropped enough hints that the Indian External Affairs Minister did give a message to China keeping in mind its expansionist agenda. In fact, the talks between RIC Foreign Ministers were held against the backdrop of an India-china standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that has taken bilateral ties to an all-time low. Though Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi avoided any mention of the standoff, the former did not miss the chance to remind the latter of the need to respect international law in an obvious reference to Beijing’s “misdeeds” on land and in water. The Indian Ocean Region and Indo-pacific region where China is flexing muscles are the two areas where Delhi and Washington are