Indo-Pacific must be free, open: Rajnath at ASEAN
His comments come at a time when China is seeking to boost its influence in the Indo-Pacific region by setting up military bases, pushing countries to advance its maritime claims and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday put the spotlight on the Indo-Pacific region and said it must remain free from coercion, reiterating India’s position that a rules-based international order is a must for peace, prosperity and stability in the vast maritime expanse.
His comments come at a time when China is seeking to boost its influence in the Indo-Pacific region by setting up military bases, pushing countries to advance its maritime claims and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states.
“India’s emphasis on the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific, are not directed against any country but are meant to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders,” Singh said at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Kuala Lumpur.
Addressing the forum on Reflection on 15 years of ADMM-Plus and Charting a Way Forward, Singh said, “India’s strategic engagement with ASEAN is not transactional but long-term and principle-driven, and it rests on a shared belief that the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from coercion.”
Speaking at the same event but separately, Singh’s American counterpart Pete Hegseth made a more direct reference to Beijing. “We seek peace. We do not seek conflict. But we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else,” said the US defence secretary.
On Friday, Singh met Hegseth on the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus and said that the India-US partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region. India and the US signed a 10-year framework to deepen the bilateral defence relationship, with jointly working on peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region being one of the top priorities.
Singh said the ADMM-Plus was an essential component of India’s Act East Policy and the broader Indo-Pacific vision.
“As the ADMM-Plus enters its 16th year, India stands ready to deepen cooperation in all areas of mutual interest to promote dialogue over discord, and to strengthen regional mechanisms that ensure peace and stability. The experience of the past fifteen years offers clear lessons: inclusive cooperation works, regional ownership builds legitimacy, and collective security strengthens individual sovereignty.”
Singh touched upon inclusivity and sustainability in his address. Inclusivity in security, he said, ensures that all nations, regardless of size or capacity, have a role in shaping the regional order and deriving benefits from it. He said sustainability implies building security architectures that are resilient to shocks, adaptable to emerging threats, and rooted in long-term cooperation rather than short-term alignment.
“For India, these principles resonate with its own strategic outlook. India’s security vision for the Indo-Pacific integrates defence cooperation with economic development, technology sharing, and human resource advancement. The interlinkages between security, growth, and sustainability define India’s approach to partnership with ASEAN,” Singh added.
“The ADMM-Plus has also helped align India’s initiatives with ASEAN’s strategic outlook, ensuring that India’s engagements reinforce, rather than compete with, ASEAN mechanisms.”
US urges ASEAN to be firm in countering China in the South China Sea
Speaking at a meeting with his counterparts, Hegseth reiterated US concern over what he called China’s aggression in the disputed waters that intensified in recent months, citing incidents such as ramming of vessels and the use of water cannons. Hegseth said China’s provocative actions challenged and threatened territorial sovereignty in the region.
“China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” he said. Hegseth urged ASEAN to hasten the conclusion of a Code of Conduct that the bloc is negotiating with China to govern behaviour at sea. But he said the bloc should also strengthen its capability, including enhanced joint surveillance and rapid-response tools to deter provocations.
He proposed the development of a “shared maritime domain awareness” that will alert all members if one nation is threatened.
“We need to develop our joint capabilities to respond, and this includes being able to monitor maritime conduct and develop the tools that allow us to respond quickly. That goes a long way in ensuring that whoever is on the receiving end of aggression and provocation is ... not alone,” he said.
