President Hu Jintao’s call last week for a rapid upgradation of Chinese naval power is certainly being noticed by military planners in New Delhi, Tokyo and Washington. “We should strive to build a powerful navy that adapts to the needs of our military’s historical mission in this new century and at this new stage,” Hu said in comments reported in the Chinese official media.

Hu’s emphasis on battle-readiness and the ability to operate far from home shores would make the Chinese Navy a more familiar sight in and around the Indian Ocean.

As China rises to become a great power, its maritime interests too have grown. It is inevitable, then, China will seek to protect its sea-borne trade and growing volumes of energy import from abroad. Although its naval focus has traditionally been on preventing Taiwan from declaring independence, the Indian Ocean has emerged as an arena for greater Chinese naval activism.

India has been closely monitoring the expanding Chinese profile in the Indian Ocean, especially, its construction of ports and other maritime infrastructure in India’s South Asian neighbours, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

India’s response, however, will soon have to focus on a more active promotion of regional maritime cooperation under its own leadership. This will necessarily involve a forward-looking naval strategy that leverages India’s diplomatic and commercial strengths in the Indian Ocean.

Singapore gets Gwadar

Every action, we know from Newton, begets an equal and opposite reaction. China’s expanding naval power has compelled countervailing moves including greater cooperation among the other actors in the region, including India, Japan, US, Australia, Singapore and Indonesia.

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