India’s Engagement in the South China Sea

ABSTRACT The South China Sea is of immense strategic significance to India from politico-diplomatic, economic and security perspectives. As a rising power, India has expanded its strategic geography and, in this context, it formulated its Look East Policy, which was rechristened as the Act East Policy in 2014. Its current interests go beyond Southeast Asia into the wider Asia-Pacific region, including the South China Sea. From an economic perspective, more than 50% of India’s trade is transported through the sea lanes of the South China Sea. India is also concerned about China’s assertiveness here, in particular its aggressive posturing and militarisation of the disputed Spratly and Paracel Islands and non-adherence to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). India has actively promoted the principles of international law and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. Further, the Indian Navy has maintained a regular presence in the South China Sea to protect India’s economic and security interests, which includes the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) offshore oil and gas exploration project in partnership with Vietnam.