Panaji, Feb 28: The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that India wants to find a solution to the South China Sea dispute in a peaceful manner under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

It may be recalled that China is in the process of deploying advanced radar systems to its man-made islands in Cuarteron Reef in the Spratly Islands archipelago, created by way of land reclamation. China has also built airstrips on these artificial islands.

“We are not interested in finding a solution to the issue by way of force,” Parrikar stated, adding that India could be affected from the particular dispute as it has two oil-related contracts with Vietnam and need free channel for sea lane, in the South China Sea.

India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONCG) is currently engaged in oil exploration in a Vietnamese block of the South China Sea.

India has repeatedly stressed for respect for freedom of navigation in international waters, the right to passage and overflight, unimpeded commerce and access to resources in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).