India has joined Vietnam in calling for a peaceful resolution of the territorial disputes between China and other South China Sea claimant countries.  

On Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a joint statement, calling for a peaceful resolution of the disputes over the South China Sea.

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The two leaders called on all parties to resolve the disputes through peaceful means without threat or use of force. China continues to build military facilities on several contested islands in the South China Sea, resulting in deteriorating ties with other claimants.  

"Both sides also called on all states to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that could complicate or escalate disputes affecting peace and stability, respect the diplomatic and legal processes, fully observe the Declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and soon finalize the Code of Conduct (COC)," Modi and Phuc said in the joint statement.

China and its neighbors, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam, have been engaged in a bitter dispute over the ownership of several islands and reefs in the South China Sea. In July, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled against China in favor of the Philippines in a long-standing territorial dispute over the South China Sea.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a state visit to Vietnam from Sep. 2 to 3. During the visit, Modi announced the Indian government's plan to provide four new patrol boats to Vietnam. Modi concluded his two-day Vietnam trip on Saturday and left for China where he would take part in a G20 Summit. 

TagsSouth China Sea, South China Sea Dispute, Narendra Modi, Vietnam, India