On 3 July, the Indian Navy’s INS Kiltan took a quick stop in the Philippines as part of its deployment in the Indo-Pacific Region. This came after a successful military drill conducted between the Indian warship and a South Korean naval vessel in the East China Sea. Since it joined the Indian Navy in 2017, the INS Kiltan has been a significant pillar in India’s Act East Policy at a time when the maritime sub-regions in the Pacific have been subject to China’s assertive actions.
On 20 June, Japan said that two Chinese coast guard ships had entered the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. This happened several times in April and May too, as reported by WION, leading to reinvigorated tensions between the two East Asian countries. Moreover, China’s strategic designs to project power and increase influence in the South China Sea are also concerning given the call for readiness for a “people’s war at sea” by China’s defence minister, General Chang Wanquan. Read More…
