Indian Ocean is not India's alone: China

1 July 2015 11:23 am

The Indian Ocean cannot be a backyard of India which navies of other countries could not visit, the Chinese ministry of defence has said.

As the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy expands its profile in the Indian Ocean with recent submarine visits to Sri Lanka and more recently Pakistan, its officials have moved to assuage India's concerns by emphasising its motivations were driven by trade and security and not aimed at India, Indian media reported.

Senior Captain Zhao Yi told visiting Indian journalists in Beijing on Tuesday that India had a "special role to play in stabilising the Indian Ocean region", but it could not be treated as its backyard.

"I admit that geographically speaking India has a special role to play in stabilising the Indian Ocean region and South Asian region. But [for the Indian Ocean], backyard is not a very appropriate word to use for an open sea and international areas of sea," he said.

He said if the Indian side views the Indian Ocean as its backyard, it cannot explain why navies from Russia, the United States and Australia have the right of free navigation in Indian Ocean.

He said one American scholar had warned of the possibility of "clashes" in the Indian Ocean. "I don't agree," Senior Captain Zhao said, but added: "If some countries view it as their backyard, then this [possibility] could not be eliminated."

The Chinese experts did, however, acknowledge the need for more transparency, especially in the wake of concerns in Indian strategic circles over submarine visits by the PLAN to Sri Lanka last year and to Pakistan earlier this year. China described both visits as routine.

"When most submarines navigate we inform our neighbouring countries to reduce concerns and enhance mutual trust," said Zhang Wei, Researcher of the PLA Navy Academic Institute. Zhang added that China's attention on the Indian Ocean Region was driven by trade, with key energy imports passing through the waters. "The Chinese navy's presence in the Indian Ocean is to protect maritime security and of sealines of communication. We should make efforts to strengthen trust. If there are still doubts and concerns of navigation in the Indian Ocean then I believe we haven't done enough to enhance mutual trust," said Zhang.  (Business Standard and India Today)