Japan Backs India; Opposes any 'unilateral attempt to change status quo' on LAC

New Delhi, July 03: Japan has extended a strong gesture of support to India amidst the ongoing tension between China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Japanese envoy to India Satoshi Suzuki slammed China for its unilateral attempts to change the status along the LAC.

 

 

 

Suzuki made the remarks in a tweet posted on his official Twitter handle following a conversation with India’s foreign secretary Harsh Shringla.

 

 

Suzuki appreciated his briefing on the situation along LAC, including the Government of India's policy to pursue a peaceful resolution. "Japan hopes for a peaceful resolution and opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo," he said. The strong gesture of support for India has come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the Ladakh sector to meet troops and be briefed on the situation following a brutal clash broke out in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred along the LAC in the Galwan valley.

 

A few days back, the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force conducted a joint training operation to expand mutual understanding between the two naval forces. Japanese Diplomat Satoshi Suzuki confirmed this joint operation that was carried out between the two counties on June 27. Japan is the second country with which India holds a ‘2+2’ format meeting for security and strategic issues, after the US.

 

Japan is one of the members of the ‘Quad’ — a strategic group of India, the US, and Australia – that has been formed to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region and to ensure it remains free from any kind of dispute. It is one of the many east Asian nations affected by China's aggressive stance in the Pacific region. Japan has been affected by China's expansionist policies in the South China Sea.

 

On Thursday, the two Chinese ships entered Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands at around 4:50 pm (local time) on Thursday and appeared to be trying to approach a Japanese fishing boat about 7 km west of Uotsuri Island, according to the Japan Coast Guard. It is the first time since 22 June that a Chinese ship has entered Japanese territorial waters around the Senkakus, which are called Diaoyu in Chinese, the japan times reported.

 

On the other hand, the US also slammed china. "The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is acting aggressively. It's essentially invaded India and killed 20 Indian soldiers,” Senator Tom Cotton said.