Concerns were raised by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar about the “steady increase in Chinese naval presence” in the Indian Ocean. He told everyone to “get ready for a far greater presence of Beijing than seen ever before.”
At the “Discussion at Council on Foreign Relations” in New York, Jaishankar said, “Over the last 20 to 25 years, there has been a steady rise in the presence and activity of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean. There has also been a very sharp rise in the size of the Chinese navy.” When you have a much bigger navy, that navy will be seen because it will be stationed somewhere.
The EAM also said that New Delhi is keeping a close eye on these events to see if they could have any security effects.
“In our case, we have seen Chinese port activity and buildings. You brought up Gwadar; in Sri Lanka, there is a port called Hambantota.” There are a few more. When I think back, I think that many times, the governments and leaders of the time didn’t realize how important this was or how these ports could work in the future. He said, “In a way, each one is quite different.”
He also said, “Of course, we keep a close eye on many of them for any security risks…”From an Indian point of view, it makes sense to get ready for a lot more Chinese people than we’ve seen before.
American and Indian strategists are worried that China’s growing naval presence and use of “debt-trap diplomacy” could give it real military advantages far from its shores. This is because China has increased its involvement in the Indian Ocean region over the past 30 years.
It’s not entirely clear what China’s final goals are in the Indian Ocean, but it is clear that the Chinese government is working hard to build up the military power it needs to do a wide range of missions in the area.
Jaishankar also said that India is one of the few countries that can bring together people from the North and South and the East and West.
“One of the contradictions, and the G20 made it clear.” There is a lot more division between East and West, and the war in Ukraine is one of the main reasons for this. You have a very big gap between the north and south, partly because of Covid and partly because of it. He also said, “I think we are one of the few countries that can actually solve both of these problems.”
