India sets sights on China's expansion

Updated September 7, 2010 21:23:22

In a rare statement, India's prime minister Manmohan Singh has accused China of seeking to expand its influence in South Asia at New Delhi's expense. Manmohan Singh says China's desire for a foothold in South Asia is a reality that India should be aware of and be prepared for. His comments come at a time when the two Asian powers are both trying to secure regional resources and geopolitical clout.

Presenter: Kanaha Sabapathy
Speakers: Dr P K Gosh, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi; Russell Smith, director, defence and security, IHS Janes

SABAPATHY: India is increasingly concerned about China's growing foothold in the South Asian region, especially in the Indian Ocean.

In recent years, China has been expanding port facilities in countries that border India, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Burma.

And while these ports are commercial structures and not naval bases, Indian strategists refer to these projects as a 'string of pearls', encircling India in its strategic backyard.

Dr P.K. Gosh is from the New Delhi based think tank, Observer Research Foundation.

GOSH: Earlier, we used to call it the Strategic Encirclement Policy in which it is trying to get various areas around India, trying to put up forward bases from where its navy can operate.

SABAPATHY: Dr Gosh says there are two major reasons why China is keen to pursue the two oceans policy, whereby it expands its influence and clout from just the Pacific Ocean to encompass the Indian Ocean.

GOSH: Their energy lines come from West Asia and China is very heavily dependent on its energy and the ships which transit through. The Chinese also have extensive overseas energy assets in Africa, for example, in Nigeria and so many other places. Now, one must also be capable of looking after the security of that asset.

SABAPATHY: Russell Smith, the director for defence and security for IHS Janes, agrees that while China is keen to safeguard its sealanes of communication and transportation, he does not believe that Beijing has any military intentions.

Instead, Mr Smith says that the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and further is to gain operational experience.

SMITH: I think, what we are seeing with the PLA navy deploying into these other countries within the region is all part of them gaining greater operational experience. There has been an amphibious task force and I think they are now in their fifth rotation through the Gulf of Aden. We have seen these warships visiting Burma and also just in the last few weeks we have some more warships visiting Vanuatu.

SABAPATHY: Tensions between India and China have always been smouldering, but if there's one area where there has been active cooperation it has been in naval exercises.

GOSH: The Indian navy and the Chinese navy have been having a lot of exercises together. This is one of the areas in which we are sort of cooperating with each other, which is a very good sign. But we are rather concerned about China and its foray into the Indian Ocean region because the string of pearls policy is having an effect of almost encircling us and strangling us.

SABAPATHY: China currently does not have a blue water navy but it is building it up at a phenomenal pace. China is acquiring maritime strike capability not only in the form of aircraft but also with anti ship cruise missiles.

Russell Smith says to gain recognition as a major global power and to further protect its strategic interests China is willing to use its cheque book freely to gain a toe hold in a number of developing countries.

SMITH: China has got a big cheque and countries that are maybe struggling a little bit will gladly welcome someone with lots of money who is going to have a massive injection and try to rapidly improve the various facilities that they might have around their countries.

SABAPATHY: Dr Ghosh says, while many countries do welcome Chinese assistance, it is not without an awareness of the power dynamics in the region.

GOSH: There are a lot of countries, in fact most of the countries, are quite apprehensive of China's so-called creeping, aggressive posturing, and with the building of their navy. You see most of these countries are well aware of the power dynamics in the region and I don't think that they would like to antagonise India as much as they probably would not like to antagonise China.