India signs West Philippine Sea statement

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets the Chinese leadership in Beijing,India has signed a joint statement with Philippines which mentions South China Sea as West Philippine Sea and has supported peaceful resolution of the dispute over the name,in accordance with the freedom of navigation and rule of law.

Delhis position in the face of an assertive Beijing on the South China Sea dispute came about in the joint statement after the 2nd meeting of the Philippines-India Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation on Monday in Manila.

Usually,India does not refer to South China Sea by any other name and only its internationally-used nomenclature.

Indias position has been carefully crafted and the latest position was articulated by the Prime Minister at the East Asia summit in Brunei Daressalam on October 10.

With Delhi keeping a close watch on Chinas military modernisation and muscle-flexing on the South China Sea,it has always maintained that sovereignty over areas of the South China Sea is disputed between many countries in the region.