India’s Subtle, Yet Clear-Sighted South China Sea Approach

China’s expansive claims have brought yet another geographical arena to the brink of severe confrontation. The region in context is the South China Sea. Laying claims to over 90% of the South China Sea, China completely usurped the region undermining the rights of six countries- the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan.

In 2016, the Philippines took the matter to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) which invalidated the Chinese claims over the Western Philippines Sea which falls within 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Notwithstanding the ruling, Beijing continued to advocate its Nine-Dash Line Doctrine. President Rodrigue Duterte's pragmatic China policy, setting aside the tribunal ruling in the immediate aftermath made Beijing more assertive. His successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr recalibrated the foreign policy priorities and began diversifying ties with countries and firmed up relationship with the US. This shift was marked by increased confrontations on the maritime front, which at times are turning fatal. Water cannon attacks on the Philippines vessels carrying supplies to BRP Sierre Madre, a warship housing soldiers by the Chinese Coast Guards have raised tension between both countries.  The ship was intentionally grounded in 1999 to assert the sovereignty of the Philippines.

Amid the rising diplomatic friction, the Philippines first showed interest in BrahMos in 2019. In 2022, Manila signed a military contract with New Delhi for the delivery of three batteries of anti-ship variant BrahMos. Alongside, the Philippines reinvigorated a Mutual Defence Treaty alliance with the US that suffered neglect under the Duterte regime. To counter Chinese belligerence, the Philippines in 2023 announced four additional bases under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) taking the expansion to a total of nine sites on a rotational basis.

Parallelly, countries launched the largest joint military exercise, Balikatan, which included novel boat-sinking skills as well. China perceived the renewed agreement with the US with suspicion and the collision course between the Chinese Coast Guards, Filipino personnel and fishermen increased. Marcos Jr also signed a defence agreement with Japan and announced joint drills with Australia. Given, Chinese unrelenting provocations, these ties eventually matured into a mini lateral, Squad, in April 2024.

Other than the Pacific partners, the Philippines started including India in its strategic calculus. At the 4^th India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, (JCBC) countries agreed to strengthen defence engagement and maritime cooperation, especially in defence training and procurement of defence equipment¹. In June 2020, immediately after the Galwan incident, the Indian Navy deployed a ship to the SCS to demonstrate its deterrence capabilities. Indeed, the Indian Navy also deployed frontline vessels along the Malacca Straits, the region from where Chinese vessels enter the India Ocean Region (IOR)².

At the 5^th edition of JCBC in 2023, countries underlined the “need for peaceful settlement of disputes and for adherence to international law, especially UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea”³. China’s assertive posture and territorial claims along the LAC and the SCS have substantially disrupted the stability of the region. Shedding customary caution, India took a nuanced dig at China to respect international law.

China’s aggressive posturing has culminated in India revamping the “Act East Policy” and strengthening security partnerships with ASEAN countries. India has elevated its relationship with ASEAN countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022 and held the inaugural maritime exercises in 2023 aligning with the strategy of active engagement with the Indo-Pacific region. This served India’s twin-pronged approach of commitment to regional security and of becoming a potential alternative to Chinese dominance and its unilateral actions.

India’s principled approach besides adhering to the international maritime order potentially challenges China’s dominance in the South China Sea region. While Chinese provocations and dangerous escalations intensified since 2023 with Chinese vessels blocking and ramming the Philippines ship taking supplies to the Second Thomas Shoal, by rescuing the Filipino sailors India has burnished its credentials as a responsible stakeholder in the region. In response to the Houthi Red Sea attacks, the US Navy and 40 other navies launched “Operation Prosperity Guardian” to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the troubled waters.  

India declined the invitation to join the US initiative but instead, to ‘secure the seas’ and protect the maritime community, launched “Operation Sankalp”. Within 100 days, India undertook 1000 boarding operations, saved 110 people, escorted 15 lakh tonnes of essential commodities, seized 3000 kg narcotics and assured 450 Merchant Vessels (MV)s of Indian presence⁴.

President Marcos expressed gratitude to India during EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Manila in March for the swift rescue operations for rescuing the crew which included Filipinos on the hijacked vessel MV Confidence⁴. The Indian Navy’s rescue missions have earned the goodwill of countries for their proactive maritime security operations. According to an estimate, over a quarter of seafarers deployed on international shipping vessels are Filipinos. In November 2023, India offered the Philippine Coast Guard seven helicopters for rescue operations.

Convergence of common concerns, Chinese maritime activism and shared interests has brought India and the South China Sea nations closer. With its active role as the “First Responder”, India is steadily buttressing its stature as a “Preferred Security Partner” in the region.

Indeed, Jaishankar’s Manila visit amid increasing Philippines-China tensions and ahead of the delivery of the BrahMos missiles had an unmissable strategic dimension to it. It came at a time when Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador for Beijing’s “aggressive actions”. Reiterating India’s firm support to the Philippines “for upholding its national sovereignty”, Jaishankar called for “strict adherence to rules-based order… in its entirety both in letter and spirit”. India’s statement has riled China which shot back saying, that in the maritime issues between the two countries, a third country has no right to interfere. To which, India remarked- “as a nation deeply invested in the region because of its Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision, India follows all developments with great interest”⁵.

Besides the ongoing standoff that has entered the fifth year, Chinese has increased its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). China is making forays into the region by deploying spy ships under the guise of research vessels with increased periodicity. Nearly every Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) announcement in India is accompanied by a Chinese vessel deployment close to Indian waters. Paying back in the same coin, India is now no longer reticent in entering the belligerent waters of the SCS. Upgrading defence ties with ASEAN countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, India is now strengthening engagement with joint drills, port calls and workshops.

As a part of Operational Deployment to the South China Sea, three Indian Navy ships- INS Delhi, a guided missile destroyer armed with Module Launcher for BrahMos missile; INS Shakti, a Deepak-class fleet Tanker; INS Kiltan, a Kamorta class anti-submarine warfare corvette built by the GRSE, visited the region reaffirming India’s commitment to maritime stability and security. The deployment almost escaped the notice of the Chinese authorities engrossed in carrying out “punishment drills” in the Taiwan Straits, which is a subtle message to China about the importance of adhering to international norms.

Boasting of largest navy, even surpassing the US while China is consumed by bullying smaller neighbours, the humble Indian Navy’s unflinching resolve with 150 ships and submarines to safeguard the maritime interests of the region is truly phenomenal. India’s overarching principle of providing security and thwarting maritime threats is widely appreciated by the Indo-Pacific littorals.

Not intended to provoke, the deployment, an attempt to reach out to Southeast Asian nations would buttress India’s role as a reliable security provider. With China at loggerheads with the South China Sea neighbours through its “grey zone tactics”, India’s commitment to coordinated action to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region is discreetly evident.

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