China expands Military footprint in Indian Ocean - Burning Issues

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China’s Presence in Indian Ocean

China has increased its presence in Indian Ocean region through its debt trap diplomacy and string of pearls strategy.

String of Pearls and Encirclement of India

China has been working on string of pearls strategy to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean to extract maximum benefit from it and contain Indian hold in the region.
China has constructed civilian and military infrastructure at chosen points on the islands or ports in Indian ocean encircling India.
In recent past china has started militarizing and fortifying these commercial ports to increase its area of military influence in Indian Ocean region.

Debt Trap Diplomacy of China

In Debt-trap diplomacy China provide large infrastructural loans to strategically located developing countries. This policy has been considered debt-trap diplomacy because once the indebted economies fail to service their loans, they are said to be pressured to support China’s geostrategic interests

Why in News

China has significantly increased its presence in the Indian Ocean region over the past three decades.
Recent Satellite pictures suggest China is upgrading Djibouti port as full-fledges naval base which can harbor its largest aircraft carrier.

Naval Base at Djibouti

The naval facility of China in Djibouti was set up in 2017 as a logistics support unit.
It is now being upgraded into a full-fledged naval base with a 1,120-feet pier that can berth Chinese warships, including the Liaoning aircraft carrier.

Naval Base at Djibouti

The outer perimeter is fortified like a modern-day castle with steep berms topped by towers and two rows of walls.

Drive to Militarise Gwadar

Recent Satellite images show china have built several new complexes in the Gwadar in last few years.
The fortified complex has antivehicle spikes, security fences and a high wall.
The complexes are surrounded by unusually high-security apparatus.

Drive to Militarise Gwadar

China is planning to deploy a nuclear submarine at Gwadar Port in southwestern Pakistan. China has begun work on infrastructure required to station nuclear submarines at the Gwadar

Artificial Island in Maldives

Satellite images from January 2018 and February 2020 show China has reclaimed nearly 60000 square kilometer of land by face-lifting Feydhoo Finolhu Island in Maldives.

Naval Base at Cox Bazar

Powertech Technology Inc, has been contracted to construct a permanent submarine base in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazaar.

China will have a visiting rights to this port . Which means China will have rights to dock its submarines near the eastern coast of India
It poses serious threat to eastern command of Indian navy.

China’s Defence

China tries to defend it’s militarization of Indian ocean by saying that its non-combat activities in the region are focused on protecting its investments, and undertakes counterterrorism against organizations that threaten China.

This is the reality…
In reality China has three following agendas in Indian Ocean
Collect intelligence in support of operational requirements against key adversaries like India and USA.
Support efforts aimed at coercive diplomacy toward small countries.
Enable effective operations in a conflict environment to inflict maximum damage on adversaries.

India’s Reply: Necklace of Diamond

To reply China’s string of pearls strategy and containing Chinese influence in Indian Ocean region India has started counter encirclement of China through the Necklace of Diamond strategy
India have started building naval capacities at ports of Dqum in Oman, Diago Garcia, Chahbar in Iran and Changi in Singapore to counter encirclement of string of pearls.