Indian Navy chief warns of Indo-Pacific shift to contested seas

Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) of India, stated on Wednesday that there is a concern that the Indo-Pacific region's "Global Commons" may become "Contested Seas" due to the growing presence of multinational forces and varying interpretations of international law.

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He also pointed out that the number of violations of the established code of conduct in the South China Sea has grown with the Chinese military bullying the fishermen and clearly poses a threat to the discipline of the sea.

Highlighting the varying interpretations regarding the geographical definition. of the Indo-Pacific, Indian Naval chief said, "For Bharat, it extends from the Eastern shores of Africa to the Western shores of America. For the US, it stretches from its Pacific Coastline to the Indian Ocean. But, boundaries are not as important when it comes to defining the Indo-Pacific."

He said, "More than 50 warships of extra-regional forces remain deployed in the Indian Ocean Region for various missions, including for anti-piracy patrol off the Gulf of Aden, and the wider Indo-Pacific also has significant naval presence. Owing to the increased presence of multi-national forces, and differing interpretations of international laws, there is this fear that the Region’s ‘Global Commons’ can change to ‘Contested Seas’”.