Published 09:57 IST, July 17th 2020
'America will stand with friends against Beijing - from Himalayas to South China Sea': US
The United States once again affirmed that they stood strongly with India to combat China's growing aggression and expansionist policies
The United States once again affirmed that they stand strongly with India to combat China's growing aggression and expansionist policies. "Whether in the South China Sea or the Himalayas, America will stand with its friends in the face of Beijing’s belligerence," tweeted the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA).
Issuing a statement, David R. Stilwell, Assistant Secretary of Bureau Of East Asian And Pacific Affairs said, "The United States is resolved to protect our vital interests and those of our allies and friends. We are building our military capabilities. We are vigilant. We are exercising and operating wherever international law allows."
'Ready to bolster military capabilities of concerned nations'
"We are strengthening ties with our friends. We stand ready to help bolster the military capabilities of concerned nations. We support multilateral diplomatic efforts to resist PRC encroachments. And we are providing economic options to underscore that nations need not depend on initiatives from Beijing that are fundamentally predatory," the SCA Bureau Assistant Secretary added.
Dispute in South China Sea
China's unilateral aggressive expansionist policy and its claims of sovereignty over disputed territories has isolated the communist country on the international forum. The US mentioned how India had raised its voice against China's aggression in the disputed waters saying, "Australia, Britain, France, Germany and India have all recently issued statements of unprecedented concern over South China Sea activities by Beijing that put regional stability and international law at risk. Meanwhile, we see promising new defence and security arrangements among allies and partners from Australia to Southeast Asia, Japan and India."
On the other hand, the US also mentioned how Ladakh's Himalayas witnessed a violent faceoff along the LAC between Indian soldiers and the PLA. "When Beijing uses coercion, empty promises, disinformation, contempt for rules, bad-faith diplomacy, and other underhanded tactics in the South China Sea, it is drawing on a playbook that it uses worldwide. We see it in the Himalayas, where Beijing recently took aggressive action on its frontiers with India," said David R. Stilwell.
As per the latest talks between India and China, both countries have reaffirmed their agreement to 'ensure complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)'.
Updated 09:57 IST, July 17th 2020