Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said the fact that the Indo-Pacific is the 21st century's locus of political and security concerns and competition is indisputable.<br />''<br />''He was speaking on India's Foreign Policy in a post COVID world at Policy Exchange in the UK on Tuesday.<br />''<br />''The Foreign Secretary stressed that in the 21st century, the interconnectedness of the Indo-Pacific is finally coming into full play.<br />''<br />''He added that a motivating factor is the region's emergence as a driver of international trade and well-being.<br />''<br />''The Indo-Pacific ocean system carries an estimated 65 per cent of world trade and contributes 60 per cent of global GDP.<br />''<br />''Ninety per cent of India's international trade travels on its waters.<br />''<br />''The Fireign Secretary stated that for India, and for many others, the shift in the economic trajectory from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific has been hugely consequential.<br />'' <br />''He also said that the rise of China and the imperative for a global rebalancing have added to the mix.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">He further stated that a rules-based international order is achievable only with a rules-based Indo-Pacific.</span><br />