India supports policy of development, not expansionism, PM Modi says

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviews an honour guard at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw, Poland, August 22, 2024.REUTERS

India supports a policy of development and not expansionism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Brunei on Wednesday, though he did not name any country.

Brunei is located south of the South China Sea, which is claimed almost entirely by Beijing. Ties between India and China have been strained since 20 Indian and four Chinese troops were killed in a border clash on their Himalayan frontier in 2020.

Modi also said India supports freedom of navigation and overflight under international laws similar to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides a framework for global maritime navigation and regulates use of marine resources.