China’s moves in the Indian Ocean
- Category
International Relations
- Published
9th Dec, 2022
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Context
China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) convened the first, “China-Indian Ocean Region Forum”. It can be seen as the latest Chinese initiative focusing on the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Key Highlights of the Forum:
- It is “the first high-level official development cooperation forum jointly held by China and countries in the Indian Ocean Region” and has “over 100 participants.
- Theme: ‘Shared Development: Theory and Practice from the Perspective of the Blue Economy.
- Marine Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Cooperation Mechanism:
- China proposed to establish a marine disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation mechanism between China and countries in the Indian Ocean region.
- China expressed its willingness to provide necessary financial, material, and technical support to countries in need.
Where does India stand?
- According to CIDCA, India was invited to this forum and added that China “looks forward to meeting India at the next forum”. That prospect appears unlikely.
- New Delhi has viewed China’s recent moves in the region warily.
- India sees the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as an already established platform for the region.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA):
- It was established in 1997 and is a regional forum that seeks to build and expand understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation through a consensus-based, evolutionary and non-intrusive approach.
- IORA has 23 member states and 9 Dialogue Partners.
- Members: Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
- China is a dialogue partner in the IORA.
- The IORA Secretariat is based in Mauritius.
- The association gains importance from the fact that the Indian Ocean carries half of the world’s container ships, one-third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic, and two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments.
- It is a lifeline of international trade and transport and the Indian Ocean region is woven together by trade routes and commands control of major sea lanes.
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What are China’s plans for the IOR?
The CIDCA forum is the latest initiative to reflect Beijing’s view that:
- It has a clear stake in the region.
- China has also proposed creating a forum “on the development of Indian Ocean Island countries”.
- China is establishing a more frequent military presence in the waters of the IOR.
- Beijing’s first-ever overseas military facility was set up in Djibouti near the Horn of Africa.
Concerns:
- China has often been accused of engaging in “debt diplomacy” in these countries under its Belt and Road Initiative allegedly in the name of infrastructure development.
- Since 2008, China has regularly deployed a contingent of naval warshipsin the Gulf of Aden and established its first foreign military base in Djibouti in 2017.
- At the same time, India's absenceis seen as an attempt to challenge India’s traditional presence in the region amid apprehensions of politicization of the Indian Ocean region.
- Moreover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry refused to disclose who the participants were from other countries.