Day 51 – Q 4. Comment upon the strategy adopted by India to counter Chinese adventurism in the Indian Ocean.
4. Comment upon the strategy adopted by India to counter Chinese adventurism in the Indian Ocean.
हिंद महासागर में चीनी साहसिकवाद का मुकाबला करने के लिए भारत द्वारा अपनाई गई रणनीति पर टिप्पणी करें।
Introduction
Chinese expansionist policies are reflected in its policies of Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), String of pearl theory by building different ports like Hambantota port ( Sri Lanka) and Gwadar port (Pak), illegal constructions in South China Sea, and military/naval movement in the Indian Ocean Region.
Body
In view of this, India has adopted a strategy with the following elements:
1. Strengthening engagement with countries in Chinese neighbourhood, such as Mongolia, ASEAN countries, Japan, etc.
- Recently Indian navy has inaugurated information fusion centre for India Ocean region in order to strengthen maritime security in the region.
- Entering into multilateral & bilateral groupings involving China in order to expand the scope of engagement with China and its neighbours. e.g.: SCO, RCEP, ARF, BIMSTEC, East Asia Summit etc.
- Malabar exercise(Japan, India and US) , SIMBEX(Singapore and India) etc. prepared India how to deal if any skirmishes happen in South China sea or Indian Ocean
- Development of Chabhar port in the Persian gulf and Matala airport in Sri Lanka are counter to Gwadar port in Pakistan and Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.
- India got access to Changi naval base located near south China sea in Singapore
- Foreign policy innovations such as rejuvenating IOR-ARC, SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), Project Mausam , Africa-Asia Growth Corridor (AAGC), North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC), Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation etc.
- Creating new fora to collaborate with partners with similar counter-China concerns. E.g.: J-A-I trilateral etc.
This strategy is likely to help in the following ways:
- Increase the cost of Chinese ventures into Indian Ocean region (IOR) since countries in the region would have alternatives to the Chinese ‘debt-for-diplomacy’ model.
- Increase India’s soft power as a ‘benign regional power’
However, challenges are likely to remain especially given the superior Chinese hard power (in economic & security domain) resulting in our limited and reluctant engagement with these partners.
Further, national interests of our partners in the aforesaid multilateral fora might run in with our own national interests.
Conclusion
Thus, we need more redundancy and robustness in our International engagements to counter Chinese adventurism in the Indian Ocean
Best answer: CSE Asp(SVPNPA)
