China in the Indian Ocean Navigating India s Challenges and Reciprocation

Abstract

The Indian Ocean has remained a strategic maritime space since ages, serving as an newlineimportant link among various regions of the globe regarding trade, social contacts, and newlinecultural exchanges. The region was mostly peaceful during the pre-Vasco da Gama newlineera, but the advent of Europeans set the stage for tough competition characterized by newlineloot, plunder, and even wars. This foul environment kept on thriving and had prevailed newlinetill the end of the Second World War. Thereafter, the region appeared in a new newlinerefashioned scene where the USA emerged as a sole superpower of the world newlineimmediately after the collapse of its rival and competitor-USSR in 1991. The next newlinedramatic turn arrived by the end of 20th century when the two Asian giants China and newlineIndia, appeared on the global scene with swift growing economies, advancement in newlinescientific knowledge and skilled workforce. newlineWith the onset of the 21st century, the IOR witnessed the growing attention of these newlinebig powers especially China and the USA along with the regional power India, with newlineincreasing competition because of the growing geopolitical and geo-economic newlinesignificance of the region. Since the economy of these countries became heavily newlinedependent on the energy imports mainly arriving from the Middle East and Africa and newlinecarried away through the Sea Lanes of Communications spanning the Indian Ocean newlinefrom west to east, the security and safe arrival of these imports through the Indian newlineOcean has been treated as a chief necessity if the economy is to survive, sustain and newlinegrow. Further, the regions vast reserves of natural resource wealth both living and newlinenon-living further attracted the attention of these countries towards the region. This newlineresulted in the ever-increasing involvement of these powers in the region. China newlineiv newlinehaving geographical constraints to easily access the Indian Ocean, started to wean newlineIndia s neighbours to make its foothold strong in the region while the USA directly newlinejoined hands with India to contain China s expansion in the region. China expedited newlinethe process