The subtle excavation of Rajnath Singh in China during the commissioning of the INS Visakhapatnam

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh conducted a veiled search in China on Sunday, speaking to Western Naval Command in Mumbai.

Singh was addressing the induction ceremony of the first INS Visakhapatnam stealth guided missile destroyer in the Indian Navy.

He said that “some irresponsible nations, with their narrow partisan interests, their hegemonic tendencies” attempt to give “false definitions” of international law.

Why is this story important?

Singh’s comments came months after China announced new maritime rules to consolidate its control over the South China Sea.

The new rules came into effect on September 1.

Under the rules, foreign ships will be required to provide detailed information to Chinese authorities when passing through “Chinese territorial waters.”

Notably, 18% of India’s trade in 2019-2020 is believed to have passed through the South China Sea.

What did Singh say?

Without taking any names, Singh criticized China’s attempts to misinterpret the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“It is a matter of concern that UNCLOS is repeatedly weakened by the arbitrary interpretation of its definition by some nations,” Singh said.

Under UNCLOS, a coastal state would not impede the passage of foreign vessels if it did not threaten the security of a nation.

What do the new Chinese rules say?

The new Chinese law has an impact on the passage of military and commercial vessels in the contested South China Sea, East China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

The new rules apply to foreign ships such as submersibles, nuclear ships, ships carrying radioactive materials, bulk oil, chemicals, LNG and other harmful substances, according to the Chinese government. World time.

What do we know about INS Visakhapatnam?

INS Visakhapatnam is a native-built, stealth-guided guided missile destroyer.

It has a total length of 163 meters and a displacement of over 7,400 tonnes.

It is equipped with a set of weapons and sensors. These weapons include supersonic surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, medium and short range guns, anti-submarine rockets.

It also has advanced combinations of electronic warfare and communication.