Lens on Indian Ocean amid growing US, China muscle flexing

By Manish Anand

August 1: China over the years deftly acquired assets to oversee the Indian Ocean, and also cruise with nuclear-armed submarines into the high water to carry out the espionage activities at will. Bangladesh political class is now hotly debating if the US will get a foothold in Saint Martin’s island amid the growing rivalry between the two largest economies of the world.

“India must ensure that the Indian Ocean is free of foreign presence,” said Manoj Mukund Naravane, former Indian Army chief, during an interaction with media persons at the Indian International Centre on the growing security challenges for New Delhi.

While China maintains the largest navy fleet, with experts claiming that the Indian assets are just one-fifth of Beijing, there appears a growing interest on the parts of the US to find bases in the Indian Ocean for its warships. The AUCKUS alliance, meanwhile, is seeking to replenish the nuclear submarine assets to shore up the strength of the western powers in the Pacific to oversee the strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, as well as possibly in the Indian Ocean.

Politicians in Bangladesh are loudly expressing concerns that the government may allow the US to make a base with Saint Martin’s island, which is the southernmost point of the Islamic country overlooking Myanmar. The US State Department, however, has denied that Washington DC has any such ambitions. But the western powers know that holding on to the islands is the way to gain strategic heft in Asia.

“India has good relations with Bangladesh, particularly with the current dispensation (of Sheikh Hasina). India can on its own take care of any concerns in the Indian Ocean. There should be no foreign presence in the Indian Ocean,” added Naravane.

But Bangladesh is apparently struggling to keep Washington DC in good humour over a host of issues, including the growing loudmouthing by the Americans over the Bangladeshi elections. India knows the cost of letting neighbours in the arms of the foreign powers, as Sri Lanka under the leadership of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had turned the island nation into a Chinese outpost with navy fleet of the dragon regularly staying stationed at its port.

The ouster of Rajapaksa and the advent of Ranil Vickremesinghe at the helm of Sri Lanka has seen that the last Chinese ship spy Yuan Wang 5 had docked at the Hambantota Port a year ago. But China hold sway at critical assets from East Asia to Africa as part of its ring of pearls to overseen Indian Ocean which may entice the US to partake in the great game in the high seas.  

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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