🇮🇳 Troubled Waters: China’s Strategic Advance in the Indian Ocean and India’s Balancing Act
By Suryavanshi IAS | June 28, 2025
New Delhi: The Indian
Ocean Region (IOR), once dominated by regional powers, is witnessing the rapid
emergence of extra-regional actors—most notably China—marking a significant
shift in the maritime balance. A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on External Affairs has sounded an alarm over China’s expanding
military and economic footprint in this strategic zone, terming it one of the
most pressing geopolitical challenges for India.
China’s Expanding Footprint: Strategy Beyond
Trade
The report highlights how China, under the
guise of economic and developmental initiatives, has accelerated the
construction of dual-use infrastructure—ports, airfields, and logistics
hubs capable of supporting both commercial and military operations. These
projects, spread across key IOR countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and
Myanmar, are seen as part of Beijing’s broader ambition to transform itself
into a dominant maritime power.
China’s development of the Djibouti
military base in 2017, coupled with ongoing efforts to establish similar
footholds along critical maritime chokepoints, reveals a deliberate strategy to
increase naval reach and surveillance capability. These ports are not just
economic assets—they act as strategic levers for China’s long-term
presence in the region.
Maritime Domain Surveillance and Intelligence
Collection
The Committee expressed deep concern over the
deployment of Chinese research and survey vessels, which are collecting
sensitive oceanographic and marine data. These so-called scientific missions
are viewed as covert intelligence-gathering exercises that could support
submarine operations and undermine India’s maritime domain awareness (MDA).
Such activity close to India’s Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ), especially near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the
southern coastline, poses security threats that cannot be overlooked.
I🇳 India’s
Counter Strategy: Assertive Diplomacy, Strategic Alliances
In response, India has adopted a multi-layered
strategy. The report affirms that New Delhi is working closely with IOR
nations to build awareness about the implications of Chinese projects.
Countries like Sri Lanka have reassured India that their territory will
not be used against Indian interests. In December 2024, Sri Lankan President
Anura Kumara Dissanayake reiterated this position publicly.
India has also intensified partnerships with like-minded
countries including the United States, Japan, Australia, and France, under
frameworks like the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and Quad,
while strengthening joint exercises such as MALABAR and MILAN.
Belt and Road Initiative: A Sovereignty
Dilemma
The report further underscores India’s
opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), especially the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan-occupied Jammu
and Kashmir. India has consistently rejected any infrastructure project
that violates its sovereignty and has conveyed these concerns to China through
diplomatic channels.
The Way Forward: Stability in a Shared Ocean
The Committee concludes that the militarisation
of the Indian Ocean would not only destabilise regional peace but also
threaten the broader Indo-Pacific balance. It calls for a sustained focus on
regional cooperation, increased surveillance capacity, and adherence to
international maritime laws.
As global power dynamics shift seaward, India’s
strategic posture in the Indian Ocean will remain central to its national
security and foreign policy agenda.
Analysis: Why This Matters for India
- Strategic chokepoints are increasingly under Chinese influence
- Intelligence-gathering vessels threaten India’s underwater security
net
- Dual-use ports create long-term leverage for China
- India’s diplomatic and military engagement is crucial to maintain
balance
📌 This article is presented by Suryavanshi IAS, as part of our
“Strategic Affairs” series for UPSC aspirants
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