France on Friday expressed concern over growing aggressive stance of China in the Indo-Pacific region and the South China Sea and stressed the need for ensuring freedom of navigation and adherence to international maritime rules.
Making this point here, visiting French Defence Minister Florence Parly also said France and India continue to face the threat of terror attacks and the challenge of terrorism has to be dealt with in a comprehensive manner.
She made these observations during a seminar organised by a think tank before her high profile talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Her remarks about Indo-Pacific came against the backdrop of India, the US, Japan and Australia forging an alliance (Quad) and holding a series of naval exercises in the region in the last one year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the first in-person meeting of heads of the Quad nations in the US two months back.
Also, Australia, the US and the UK formed a coalition —AUKUS — some time back to safeguard their interests in the region. This alliance did not go down well with France.
Noting that China is a major country and there are areas, including in fighting against climate change, where cooperation can be envisaged, she said, “China is also a partner for trade and commerce but we see that China is getting more and more aggressive in the region, and it is even more specific when it comes to the (South) China Sea,” she said.
“France and, if I may, India share the same views on something which is key -- I mean the international maritime law, the freedom of navigation is not only a principal concept. This is among the set of rules we comply with, but is also something which puts at risk the freedom (of) navigation and trade,” Parly said.
“We see that sometimes there are attempts to close this (South) China Sea and we want to make sure that this freedom of navigation is respected,” the French Defence Minister noted.
Parly said France wants to preserve the Indo-Pacific as an open and inclusive area and that must be free from any “coercion”. She also said the Indo-Pacific is not an artificial juxtaposition of the Indian and Pacific oceans. It should be understood as a wide geographical continuum facing common challenges.
On the scourge of terrorism, she said “Terror has struck France and Europe repeatedly over the last few years and has not spared the Indo Pacific, including India. This fight is not over and will continue for many years to come.” She also said the threat has not waned in the backdrop of the situation in Afghanistan.