China's Growing Role in the Indian Ocean

When Communist China celebrated the 60th anniversary of its navy with grand pomp last year, the world was reminded once more that China wants to become an influential and respected maritime player.

For China, the sea plays a very crucial role for transporting raw materials such as oil from the Middle East or transporting Chinese products to Europe via the Suez Canal.

China can also play a role in maintaining stability in the region. For example, with its recent efforts to support the fight against pirates off the Somali coast.

India uneasy about China’s role in Indian Ocean

However, not everybody is happy about China’s growing role in the Indian Ocean. India is already in a difficult geopolitical position, explains Indranil Banerjie, the executive director of SAPRA, an independent Indian think tank that looks at military issues.

“India is beginning to feel rather uncomfortable with Myanmar in the east, Sri Lanka in the south and Gwadar in the west and now the African ports are making Indian strategists feel rather uneasy.”

China has a presence in all these regions -- at the port of Gwadar in Pakistan as well as in the big container harbour in Dhaka. It is also building a bunker in Sri Lanka and a pipeline that will connect the Bay of Bengal to Yunnan Province.

“The Indian leadership and strategic thinkers have a bit of a problem and are trying to figure out what exactly the Chinese want to achieve,” says Banerjie.

“It is not very clear and if you cannot gauge the intention then you get into a situation where willy-nilly you have to try to expand all your possibilities and options. Not necessarily a happy thing but perhaps inevitable in these circumstances.”

Can US play a stabilising role?

Some military observers say that the US can play a stabilising role but Adam Segal from the US Council on Foreign Relations disagrees.

“We already have our own problems with the Chinese navy and therefore it’s not easy for the US to play a kind of outside role right now,” he says. “I think we are going to continue engaging the Indian navy. We have done a number of military exercises with them, and that is probably the most likely way we will go forward.”

Indranil Banerjie agrees: “What is very important is to start developing strategic relationships with countries in the Indian Ocean. India doesn’t want to dominate the Indian Ocean. We just want options that will prevent any one power from trying to dominate or become the dominant force in the Indian Ocean. So we need to work on alliances as well as spending on the navy."

This could well lead to a new maritime arms race in Asia.

Author: Verena Degens
Editor: Thomas Bärthlein