China enters the Indian Ocean
China is going to expand its naval sphere to the Indian Ocean. It plans to build an overseas military base, first ever in its kind, in the Indian Ocean. The decision has double merits: one, this is a significant shift from regional to global strategic reach, and another is the specialty of the location of the base, which is in the Indian Ocean. According to Robert D Kaplan, Indian Ocean will be the centre of global conflicts, because most international business supply will be conducted through this route. Most important of all, it is in the Indian Ocean where the interests and influence of India, China and the US are going to overlap. It is here, as Kaplan says, where the 21st century's "global power dynamics will be revealed." Kaplan identifies India and China as the two key players in the region. India is moving east and west while China to the South. Interestingly, these, relatively, new political players are making the Indo-Pacific a heaven of "realpolitik." The US is also shifting its focus from the Middle East to this region. And it backs India as the leader of the Indo-Pacific. China announced that it will set up its first military base abroad at the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean to "seek supplies and recuperate" facilities for its Navy. A recent report says that Chinese naval fleets have re-supply facilities at harbours in Djibouti, Oman and Yemen since China sent its first convoy to the Gulf of Aden in 2008. China has already cemented its foothold in the Indian Ocean by signing contract with the UN backed International Seabed Authority to gain rights to explore polymetallic sulphide ore deposit in the Indian Ocean over the next 15 years. The geo-strategic position of the Seychelles Islands is closer to India. India's former intelligence chief, Vikram Sood said that he had been surprised by the Seychelles, traditionally close to India, that it had offered naval facilities to China. However, Beijing is considering the offer as an opportunity to establish a port to supply its anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden. This base will ensure security of China's maritime commerce while at the same time serve to counter Indian hegemony in the Indian Ocean. Now, let us have some glimpses upon the backdrops of this recent move by China. China became aware of its deficiency in naval power after the head to head collision with the SCS littoral states backed by the US. Within a few days of edgy situation between China and some SCS littoral states, over claim of the resources of spritely islands, China floated off her first ever and only air craft carries in the SCS. After few days, Indian state owned company ONGC Vindesh declared that it would continue exploration in the SCS for Vietnam despite China's dissent. The situation exacerbated when the US President Barak Obama made a visit to Australia and declared that it would build a marine base in Northern Australia in the region of Asia Pacific. So, China,reasonably, started to feel a kind of encirclement by her traditional enemies. In consequence, China has been trying to counter balance both India and the US. But thinkers like Raman, Director, Institute for Topical Studies from India, has different frame of mind. According to him, Chinese naval ships, on long-range anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden area, do need ports of call for re-stocking, re-fuelling and rest and recreation facilities. They had been using the Karachi port. They abandoned the port due to the poor security situation in Karachi, which was set back by a terrorist attack on the Pakistani naval air base in 2011. So, China has been looking for other option and find the Seychelles Island. In my view, the Seychelles cannot be a replacement for Karachi or Hambantota. Its geographical location is totally different. Moreover, there is a qualitative difference between China's other ports and the Seychelles base. In the Seychelles, it will be a military base. So it cannot be merely a port of call for re-stocking, re-fuelling and rest and recreation facilities. We can't deny its strategic importance.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments