The first trilateral meeting of Foreign Ministers of India, United States and Japan minced no words in declaring that their strategic and economic interests in the Asia-Pacific were increasingly converging.
In what could ruffle feathers in Beijing, statements issued by the three foreign ministries after the meeting said the Ministers “underscored the importance of international law and peaceful settlement of disputes; freedom of navigation and overflight; and unimpeded lawful commerce, including in the South China Sea.”
The U.S. has in the recent past asserted rights of overflight in areas China and its maritime neighbours have overlapping claims over.
The elevation of India, U.S., Japan trilateral engagement from officials level to the political level also comes weeks ahead of the Malabar naval exercise of the three countries in the Indian waters in mid-October. In 2007, China had strongly reacted to a similar exercise.
“The meeting of the Foreign Ministers should not be considered as a move against China but a reiteration of rule of law that must apply to all nations of the world,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Japan Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida also decided to meet again in the new format, as a platform for “strengthening cooperation.” Joint cooperation with Japan has become a component in India-U.S. bilateral relations.
