On July 17, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that the South China Sea is “part of the global commons” and that the Indian government stands for FON.
On 13 July 2020, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the United States would not allow China to treat the South China Sea as its “ maritime empire,” thus casting Washington as the leading defender of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal decision. The United States has become increasingly assertive against Chinese revisionism in the Indo-Pacific. One result has been its gravitation toward the United States and its Japanese and Australian allies through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – or the Quad. But following the June 2020 border clash between India and China at the Line of Actual of Control (LAC) of the Ladakh region, India has formed a game-changing resolve against the Chinese threat. Yet, Prime Minister Modi has maintained reservations over the costs and benefits of the endeavor. India’s ‘Act East’ policy was primarily inspired to balance against China. Lorenzana welcomes Indian presence in the SCS as the Philippines tries to carve diversified actions to prevent China from dominating the said area.īut what should the Philippines actually expect from India’s desire for increased FON in the SCS? This adds to the pushback against China’s dominance of the disputed waters of the South China Sea. On 2 July 2020, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza said that India intends to increase its Freedom of Navigation (FON) activities in the South China Sea (SCS).