Rajnath Singh's subtle dig at China at INS Visakhapatnam commissioning
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday took a veiled dig at China speaking at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai. Singh was addressing the induction ceremony of the first stealth-guided missile destroyer ship INS Visakhapatnam into the Indian Navy. He said "some irresponsible nations, with their narrow partisan interests, hegemonic tendencies" are attempting to give "wrong definitions" of the international laws.
Why does it matter?
Singh's comments came months after China announced new maritime rules to consolidate its control over the South China Sea. The new rules came into effect on September 1. Under the rules, foreign vessels will be required to provide detailed information to Chinese authorities when passing "Chinese territorial waters." Notably, 18% of India's trade in 2019-20 reportedly went through the South China Sea.
What did Singh say?
Without taking any name, Singh criticized China's attempts to misinterpret the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. "It is a matter of concern that UNCLOS is being repeatedly weakened by arbitrary interpretation of its definition by some nations," Singh said. Under UNCLOS, a coastal state would not hamper the passage of foreign vessels if it does not threaten a nation's security.
What do China's new rules say?
China's new law impacts the passage of military and commercial vessels in the disputed South China Sea, East China Sea, and Taiwan Strait. The new rules apply to foreign vessels such as submersibles, nuclear vessels, ships carrying radioactive materials, bulk oil, chemicals, LNG, and other harmful substances, according to the Chinese state-run Global Times.
What do we know about INS Visakhapatnam?
INS Visakhapatnam is an indigenously-built stealth-guided missile destroyer. It has an overall length of 163 meters and a displacement of over 7,400 tons. It is equipped with an array of weapons and sensors. These weapons include supersonic surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, medium and short-range guns, anti-submarine rockets. It also has advanced electronic warfare and communication suits.
