Nirmala Sitharaman takes aim at China, Pakistan in Asean meeting

Says in Manila that North Korea's nuclear proliferation linkages must be probe

In her first foreign trip as defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman fired shots across the bows of both China and Pakistan on Tuesday, without naming the two countries.

Addressing the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Manila, Sitharaman called for safeguarding freedom of navigation, over flight and commerce in regional waters – a key concern of East Asian states that must live with an increasingly powerful and assertive China.

Taking aim at China’s growing penchant for unilateralism, Sitharaman stated: “Nations should resolve maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law. We support a rules based order for oceans and sea