India Unveils Submarine Base as Counter to China

 The South China Morning Post published on 13 April 2025 an article titled "India's New Submarine Base Targets China's Growing Sea Power" by Junaid Kathju.

India has unveiled a new state-of-the-art submarine base near Rambilli in the state of Andhra Pradesh in the Bay of Bengal.  It coincides with the introduction later this year of India's third nuclear-powered submarine.  These developments are occurring against the backdrop of escalating competition between New Delhi and Beijing for strategic influence in the Indian Ocean and broader Indo-Pacific region.

China-India Naval Competition in the Indian Ocean

 

War on the Rocks published on 7 May 2024 a commentary titled "It's Still the Indian Ocean: Parsing Sino-Indian Naval Competition Where It Counts" by Prashant Hosur Suhas and Christopher K. Colley.  

India's naval strategy is geographically well defined and confined to the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea.  China is focused on offshore waters and the Pacific.  While China's navy is much larger than India's and more modern, it is not designed at the present time for an Indian Ocean contingency. 

China's Investment in Foreign Ports and Possible Naval Use

 The Council on Foreign Relations published on 6 November 2023 an article titled "Tracking China's Control of Overseas Ports" by Zongyuan Zoe Liu.  

China has been emphasizing investment in foreign ports for trade expansion and potentially for use by the People's Liberation Army Navy.  This global tracker shows ports owned by the Chinese government or Chinese companies and whether the port includes berths for potential use by naval vessels.  Many are in Africa.  

China's Interest in Egyptian Ports and the Suez Canal

 The Middle East Institue published on 3 November 2023 an analysis titled "China's Growing Maritime Presence in Egypt's Ports and the Suez Canal" by Amr Salah Mohamed.

China is an increasingly important presence in Egypt's strategic ports and the Suez Canal.  The author warns that Egypt must weigh the potential downsides.  Egypt's financial vulnerability, relatively weak bargaining position vis-a-vis China, and the risk of domination all require attention.  

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.  

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.

China's Indian Ocean Strategy

 The South Asia Journal published on 6 May 2023 an analysis titled "China's Strategic Objectives and Capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region" by Komal Khan, Strategic Vision Institute in Islamabad.

The author argues that China is focusing on exerting influence, mitigating its vulnerabilities, and securing its maritime trade in the Indian Ocean region.  To do so, Beijing has enhanced its economic and naval cooperation with Indian Ocean regional states by investing in new ports and pursuing long-term leases to ports in friendly countries along strategic waterways.  

Russian Naval Strategy in the Indian Ocean

 Abu Dhabi-based TRENDS Research and Advisory published on 14 May 2023 an analysis titled "The Indian Ocean: Moscow's New Naval Priority" by Stephen Blank, senior fellow Foreign Policy Research Institute.  

The study analyzes  Russia's naval strategy in the Indian Ocean.  Russian naval deployments in the Indian Ocean will, according to Moscow, allow it to deter Western missile strikes on its territory originating in the Indian Ocean and give Russia leverage over extensive trade passing through these waters.

European Union Seeks Higher Profile in Northwestern Indian Ocean

 The Middle East Institute published on 9 May 2023 an analysis titled "Joining the Pieces Together: Toward a Comprehensive EU Maritime Approach for the Northwestern Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea" by Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco.

The European Union has demonstrated a renewed resolve to bolster its profile as a maritime security guarantor in the northwestern Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Red Sea.  The author then sets forth some important constraints before achieving this goal.  

Challenges for People's Liberation Army to Obtain Access to the Indian Ocean Region

 The Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College Press published in July 2022 an edited volume titled Enabling a More Externally Focused and Operational PLA  that contains a chapter (#4, pp. 67-87) titled "The People's Liberation Army and Operational Access in the Indian Ocean Region: Geographic Constraints and Lessons from the Cold War" by David Brewster.  

The chapter examines challenges faced by the People's Liberation Army in obtaining operational access to the Indian Ocean region.  It focuses on how China's strategic imperatives may drive the army's future presence, bearing in mind the geographic constraints particular to the region and the Soviet experience during the Cold War.  

China Sends Upgraded Ships to Anti-Piracy Escort Mission in Gulf of Aden

 The South China Morning Post published on 19 May 2022 an article titled "China's PLA Navy Sends Destroyer and Frigate on First Escort Mission, Targeting Pirates Off Somalia" by Amber Wang.

China has sent for the first time the upgraded guided-missile destroyer Suzhou and the frigate Nantung to the Gulf of Aden as part of its anti-piracy contribution that began in 2008.

Comment:  Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden ceased being a serious problem years ago, but China regularly rotates escort missions to the area.  This is a way to train naval personnel, test new equipment in the far seas, and make use of its military base in Djibouti.  It also contributes to China's goal of becoming a global naval power.

Security Implications of China's Belt and Road Initiative

The National Bureau of Asian Research published in September 2019 a special study titled "Securing the Belt and Road Initiative: China's Evolving Military Engagement Along the Silk Roads" edited by Nadege Rolland, National Bureau of Asian Research.

The seven essays in this study offer a comprehensive look at current Chinese thinking on how to respond to the security risks associated with the global expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including into Africa. These contributions present a view of the set of options that are under consideration to enhance the security of China's interests along the BRI routes. Common to all seven essays is the idea that the expansion of China's overseas interests naturally creates the need for military protection.

China and India Vie for Influence in Africa's Western Indian Ocean Island Countries

The Institute for Security Studies posted on 22 October 2018 a commentary titled "The Proxy Battle for Africa's Indian Ocean States" by Ronak Gopaldas, director at Signal Risk.

The author discusses the efforts by China and India to compete for influence in three small western Indian Ocean Island states. Two of them--Seychelles and Mauritius--are considered part of Africa; a third--Maldives--is liked to South Asia.

China's Military Facility in Djibouti as Seen by India

The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, an autonomous and non-partisan think tank in New Delhi, published on 22 February 2016 a study titled "Port of Djibouti: China's First Permanent Naval Base in the Indian Ocean" by Mandip Singh.

The author concludes that the acquisition of the base in Djibouti, whether for replenishment of its anti-piracy fleet operating in the Gulf of Aden or for the deployment of its air and naval assets to conduct non-combatant evacuation operations, represents a strategic shift in its foreign policy. He adds that as China aspires to become a global power and challenges the existing world order, permanent bases overseas hosting warships and long range strategic aircraft lend muscle to China's diplomacy.