India, Japan and the US on Wednesday called for freedom of navigation, overflights and commerce including in the South China Sea, which is claimed by China and has fuelled tensions in the region.
The three countries, holding first trilateral meeting, also agreed to work together on maritime security through greater collaboration, highlighting the growing convergence of interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
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The meeting between India’s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and US secretary of state John Kerry is unlikely to go down well with China.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a major global shipping route which is believed to be home to massive oil and gas reserves, and is locked in maritime disputes with several countries such as Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei.
China, however, maintains there is “no problem” in freedom of navigation and overflights in South China Sea.