Containing China’s Increasing Footprint: India’s Emerging Geo-political Strategy with Special Reference to the Indian Ocean Region

Abstract

The Chinese strategy of strategic encirclement vis-à-vis the policy of “String of Pearls” poses a potential threat to regional peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region and in the South Asian and South East Asian regions. The Chinese ambition of territorial expansionism is augmented by China’s strategy of “Debt-Trap Diplomacy” whereby China has sought to increase its footprint in many of the countries of the Indian Ocean Region and South Asia and South East Asia. Beijing has vigorously extended its commercial and naval access in littoral countries like Sri Lanka and is presently eying on Nepal, Bangladesh and littoral states of the Indian Ocean region including Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, etc. The control of strategic ports by China in the Indian Ocean Region poses a major security threat to India since these ports, which although are essentially commercial ports, could easily be converted into military bases in the event of hostilities with India. Against this background, India must explore geo-strategic options to contain China in the Indian-Ocean Region and more broadly in the South Asian and South East Asian regions, while increasing its own sphere of influence in terms of helping the countries in the region achieve their infrastructure and capacity building goals; In this context, India must vigorously pursue its Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative, revitalizing the Indian Ocean Rim Association together with the Sagarmala initiative aimed at catering to the maritime security needs and economic development especially of Indian Ocean littoral countries. At the same time, joint military drills withy the full participation of the militaries of all four QUAD countries must continue in the form of the Malabar Exercise. In response to the “String of Pearls” strategy, India must forge an alliance constituting of strategic partners from the Indian Ocean Region and South Asia and South East Asian regions forming a “Necklace of Diamonds”.