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NEW DELHI: For the first time, an India-US joint statement specifically mentioned the situation in South China Sea as President Barack Obama and PM Narendra Modi expressed concern about "rising tensions over maritime territorial disputes" in that region.The joint statement was issued after the bilateral meeting between the two leaders which took place days after the standoff with China in southeastern Ladakh ended with the withdrawal of both Chinese and Indian troops. The LAC impasse continued for several days even after President Xi Jinping assured Modi during his recent visit to India that the Chinese troops had been asked to withdraw.'Chalein Saath Saath': Modi, Obama write first joint editorialAccording to the joint statement, Modi and Obama reaffirmed their shared interest in preserving regional peace and stability, which are critical to the Asia-Pacific region's continued prosperity. "The leaders expressed concern about rising tensions over maritime territorial disputes, and affirmed the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea," it said.This is significant because so far India has not gone beyond recognizing the US rebalance or pivot to Asia. In fact, the joint statement issued after the summit meet between Obama and then PM Manmohan Singh merely expressed a desire to partner more closely with other Asia-Pacific countries "including greater coordination with Japan, China and Asean, among others, including through the evolving institutional architecture of the region".There was no mention of maritime disputes in the region or anything to underline the significance of freedom of navigation. Whatever the provocation, the joint statement did not hold back this time as it even urged all parties to "avoid the use, or threat of use, of force in advancing their claims" without of course naming China."The two leaders urged the concerned parties to pursue resolution of their territorial and maritime disputes through all peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," the joint statement issued after the Modi-Obama meeting said. It also spoke about the two countries looking to upgrade their trilateral dialogue with Japan to the level of foreign ministers.Coming as it did immediately after Modi's extended visit to Japan and President Pranab Mukherjee's to Vietnam — which saw India extending a $100 million concessional line of credit to the country for purchasing patrol boats likely to be used in South China Sea — Beijing was seen here as sending out a political message to the NDA government through the Chumar "transgressions".During Mukherjee's visit, India and Vietnam also agreed to expand oil and gas exploration in the disputed South China Sea in the form of a Letter of Intent between ONGC Videsh Limited, India and Vietnam Oil and Gas Group. Beijing later objected to it saying it would not support any such exploration in the contested waters.