India’s China Challenge in the Indian Ocean: Strategic Contest for Primacy

India’s China challenge in the Indian Ocean Latest News

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs has flagged the growing presence of extra-regional powers in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as a major strategic challenge, especially China’s expanding footprint.

Significance of the Indian Ocean

• Since the early 2000s, the Indian Ocean’s significance has resurged, becoming a critical zone in global security and economic dynamics.

Rise of Regional Economies and Trade Networks

• The emergence of new economies, especially India and China, has increased the Indian Ocean’s role in global trade and connectivity, turning it into a central hub of commerce.

Maritime Security and Piracy Threats

• The rise of piracy off the Somali coast highlighted vulnerabilities in Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs), prompting enhanced maritime security efforts across the region.

Indo-Pacific as the New Geostrategic Construct

• The Indo-Pacific framework, which links the Indian and Pacific Oceans, has elevated the Indian Ocean’s strategic value, positioning it as a central axis in the evolving global order.

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Chinese Advances in the Indian Ocean

• Unlike its overt assertiveness in the South China Sea, China has adopted a long-term, calculated approach in the Indian Ocean, gradually enhancing its footprint through economic, political, and maritime initiatives.

Strategic Port Infrastructure and Political Engagement

• China is expanding its influence in the IOR by:
  • Strengthening political and economic ties with littoral states like Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bangladesh.
  • Investing in dual-use port infrastructure across the region.

Surveillance via Research Vessels

• China has been deploying research and survey vessels in the Indian Ocean, docking them in countries like Sri Lanka and Maldives.
• These vessels are believed to support underwater surveillance and data gathering, posing a potential security threat to India’s maritime interests.

Launch of the China-Indian Ocean Forum

• In 2022, China initiated the China-Indian Ocean Forum, aiming to take the lead in regional governance and multilateral cooperation.
• India’s notable absence from the forum highlights a growing geopolitical divergence in the region.

Key Highlights of the Report

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs identifies the increasing involvement of extra-regional players, especially China, as a major strategic challenge for India in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Dual-Use Infrastructure and Surveillance Expansion

• China is developing ports, airports, and logistics hubs for dual-use purposes.
• It is also deploying survey and research vessels to gather sensitive maritime and oceanographic data, boosting its maritime domain awareness.

Naval Power Projection and Military Base in Djibouti

• Since establishing a military base in Djibouti (2017), China has expanded its naval presence, increasing both the number of vessels and the duration of deployments across the IOR.

Strategic Assets Near India’s Maritime Boundary

• China is actively building dual-use infrastructure in IOR littoral states, including areas near India’s maritime boundary, aiming to support logistical functions and assert maritime dominance.

India’s Response: Regional Partnerships and Sensitisation

• India is working with partner nations in the IOR to raise awareness about China’s long-term strategic intentions and the security implications of its expanding footprint.

Assurance from Sri Lanka

• In December 2024, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reiterated that Sri Lanka would not allow its territory to be used against India’s security or regional stability.

India’s Stand on BRI and the CPEC

• India maintains a principled opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Projecting Leadership in Maritime Security

• India is emerging as a first responder and preferred security partner in the IOR, particularly in:
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
  • Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)
  • Developmental aid
• PM Modi’s launch of the MAHASAGAR doctrine (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth for All in the Region) redefines India’s regional vision.

Strengthening Regional Security Institutions

• India is actively reinforcing institutional maritime cooperation, aiming to exclude China from Indian Ocean affairs:
  • Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
  • Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
  • Information Fusion Centre – IOR (IFC-IOR)
  • Quad and Colombo Security Conclave

Naval Modernisation and Indigenous Capability Building

• India is investing heavily in the indigenous development and modernisation of naval assets, with a focus on force build-up and operational readiness in the Indian Ocean.

Source: TH | ORF