Union Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the Naval headquarters, has urged Indian Navy to increase awareness to monitor Chinese activities in Indo-Pacific region. China has been claiming all the South China Sea and has counterclaims over the region.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the Indian Navy should increase awareness to monitor Chinese activities in Indo-Pacific region. He said that they should keep an eye on the activities of China. While addressing the Navy personnel at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, the Union Minister hailed the Navy for working tirelessly for protecting the nation from illegal occupants.

Rajnath Singh asserted that China always does activities for flexing its muscles in the Indo-Pacific region. He maintained that the Indian Navy should monitor and increase awareness in the maritime domain.

Rajanath, who is on a two-day visit to the Naval headquarters, is reviewing the ongoing infrastructure projects and proposals of the Indian Navy in the region.

China has been trying to increase its presence in the region. It has been claiming all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the region. The Indo-Pacific region comprising of the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean.

Recently, India, US, Australia and Japan collectively came out in support of an ASEAN-led mechanism for preserving and promoting a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region where China is flexing its muscles.

The countries at a meeting in Bangkok unanimously highlighted their efforts to maintain universal respect for international law and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region. Several countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.