China's revisionist, revanchist policies now eyes Indian Ocean Region

China, whose revisionist and revanchist policies are universal, now has an eye on the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) including the nations on the East-African coast.

According to a 'Pentagon' report', Beijing might seek to build more overseas military bases in countries with which it has long maintained good relations and shared common strategic interests with it.

Pakistan is a fit candidate in Asia in this scheme of things, ports in countries like Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania are also on the Chinese wish list in Western IOR, reported Daily Sikh.

Strategic thinkers in Pakistan consider the modernization of the Pakistan Navy, mostly sourced from China, besides setting the 'Balance of Power (BoP)' with India, aimed at protecting China's economic and political ambitions in IOR.

The future role of the Pakistan Navy is, therefore, premised on achieving "Equalization of Sino-Indian Confrontation" in the IOR. This is in line with Islamabad's tradition of seeking short-term gains in pleasing external strategic benefactors, earlier it was the US and now it's China, reported Daily Sikh.

Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in a meeting (April 2019) with Pak Chief of Naval Staff Abbas Raza, termed China-Pakistan defence and security cooperation as an important pillar of bilateral relations.

Notably, China and Pak exchanges and cooperation in the defence sector have intensified over the years. According to US media reports (January 2019), the strength of the Pak Navy has been enhanced and would further be strengthened after the completion and delivery of more advanced warships by China.

With Chinese political and economic support, Pakistan has expanded its Navy and has been acquiring combat weapons including 'Babar', a cruise missile, which is typical of the Chinese C 862 Missile.

There are also Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles such as 'Harappa' and 'Zarabu', which are also basically of Chinese design.

Additionally, China's support to Pakistan also includes eight Type-S 20 Conventional Submarines. In 2017, China installed C 602 Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles on the Fast Attack Ships of the Pakistani Navy, reported Daily Sikh.

Meanwhile, Gwadar Port is being touted as the 'game changer' through which Islamabad is seeking to challenge India's 'Maritime Renaissance' in the IOR.

Increased Chinese military presence in Gwadar and the IOR would disturb the equilibrium in the Persian Gulf region and put Beijing at an advantage militarily at key choke points in the northern Indian Ocean.

Additionally, the Gwadar Port would allow China to bypass the Indian Ocean. On becoming operational, the port and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), would connect the western region of China with an outlet in the Arabian Sea and support the development of its restive Xinjiang Province.

China would use this route primarily, for trade transportation, in the future over its Southeast coast that is from the South China Sea (SCS) to the Persian Gulf. This, therefore, highlights the significance of Pakistan and hence the assistance for modernization of the Pakistani Navy to espouse the interests of China in IOR, reported Daily Sikh.

An analysis of Chinese support to the Pak Navy reveals that China intends to: establish sea-lanes connectivity for its global trade, bypassing SCS, a shorter route to connect to the African continent and overcome its 'Malacca Dilemma'; use Pak Navy to ensure the security of interests in IOR once the CPEC fully operationalizes, and check increasing influence of Indian Navy in the IOR to further its and Pakistan's interests, reported Daily Sikh.

( With inputs from ANI )