Need for a US Indian Ocean Strategy

 Foreign Affairs published on 7 April 2025 a commentary titled "America Needs a Real Indian Ocean Strategy" by Arzan Tarapore, Stanford University.  

Chinese submarine activity will soon surpass India's ability to counter it in the Indian Ocean and India is ill equipped to offset China's growing naval presence.  India's contributions to regional security are significant, but they will be dwarfed by what it will take to counter China's increasing naval capacity.

The author calls on the United States to craft a comprehensive strategy for the Indian Ocean because within a decade an expanding Chinese naval presence will be able to imperil global shipping lanes, extract more resources from countries in the region, and project force far beyond its current ability.  The focus of this US strategy should be building collective military power.     

India Ramps Up Naval Activity in Response to China

 The Associated Press published on 1 February 2024 an article titled "India Begins to Flex Its Naval Power as Competition with China Grows" by Aljaz Hussain.  

India is sending a message that the Indian Ocean is its backyard and signaling China that it plans to assume wider naval responsibility in the region, including the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.  

India and Australia Respond to China in the Indian Ocean

 The Foreign Policy Research Institute published on 6 November 2023 an analysis titled "Australia and India's New Military Bases: Responses to China's Naval Presence in the Indian Ocean" by Felix K. Chang.

The article outlines steps India and Australia are taking to counter a growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean.  

Building US Security in the Indo-Pacific Region, the Quad, and China

 The US Army posted on 22 September 2023 an article titled "Building the Quad: A Diamond of National Security" by Sarah Hauck.

The same article appeared on 28 September in the Fort Leavenworth Lamp.

The article summarizes a panel presentation on 14 September at the Lewis and Clark Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  The panel discussed great power competition in the Indo-Pacific region with a particular focus on the role of the Quad (Japan, Australia, India, and US) for enhancing security and competition with China.    

Countering China in Indian Ocean Through Partnerships

 The Atlantic Council published on 16 August 2023 a paper titled "Indian Ocean Partnerships Are Key to Countering China's Maritime Ambitions" by Delharty Manson and Nicholas Nunez.  

The paper compares China's growing engagement in the Indian Ocean with the presence of US forces and suggests the best way for Washington to counter China's expansion is to build stronger ties with countries in the region.  

Where Is China Looking for Its Next Overseas Naval Base?

Foreign Policy published on 27 July 2023 a commentary titled "Beijing Is Going Places--and Building Naval Bases" by Alexander Wooley and Sheng Zhang.

Based on new AidData information, the authors offer the following short list for likely future PLA Navy bases outside China: Hambantota, Sri Lanka; Bata, Equatorial Guinea; Gwadar, Pakistan; Kribi, Cameroon; Ream, Cambodia; Luganville, Vanuatu; Nacala, Mozambique; and Nouakchott, Mauritania.  

China-India Competition in the Indian Ocean

 The Stimson Center's South Asian Voices published on 31 May 2023 an analysis titled "India's Evolving Maritime Strategy" by Allah Nawaz.

India has moved from a policy of "using" Indian Ocean waters to "securing" them.  China's rise and increased interference in India's perceived sphere of influence pushed New Delhi to modify its strategy in the Indian Ocean.  In response to China's "string of pearls" theory, India is pursuing a "necklace of diamonds" approach.

Military Cooperation and Competition in the Indian Ocean

 The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) published on 2 June 2023 a paper titled "The State of Defence Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region" by Antoine Levesques and Viraj Solanki.

Looking to the early June IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, the authors noted the increased tempo of defense cooperation initiatives in the Indian Ocean region as relations between Bejing and New Delhi became more conflictual beginning in May 2020 in the aftermath of border clashes that led to a zero-sum mentality.  India thus turned to the US-aligned Quad to bolster its regional strategy while China took a series of tangible steps in the Indian Ocean region to improve its security presence.