A retired Indian diplomat has suggested the opening of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the friendly navies of the US, Japan, Australia and France so as to promote greater naval cooperation.
Chinoy, who has served as India’s ambassador to Japan and also as consul general in Shanghai, in his latest paper titled, “Time to Leverage the Strategic Potential of Andaman & Nicobar Islands”, argues that China has rapidly expanded its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean littoral and has enhanced its Operational Turnaround (OTR) in the Indian Ocean which includes developing new bases in Pakistan’s Gwadar and Djibouti, a country located in the Horn of Africa.
Chinese naval and survey vessels have entered India’s EEZ without prior intimation
Chinoy, who is the director-general of the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, further says that India needs to be wary of Chinese interest in IOR as in the past many Chinese naval and survey vessels have entered India’s EEZ without prior intimation.
“There have been some suggestions for coordinated surveillance of Malacca, Sunda, Lombok, and Ombai Wetar Straits through the collaborative use of the A&N Islands and Australia’s Keeling (Cocos) Islands. Similarly, there have also been some recommendations about collaborative anti-submarine warfare (ASW) efforts in the Indian Ocean in which the A&N Islands could play a critical role,” writes Chinoy.
Chinese naval presence in the IOR will increase
The former diplomat goes on to say that rise of China’s economic clout and strategic interests, its naval presence in the IOR is only going to increase adding that while tracking warships is relatively easy, keeping an eye on Chinese submarines is an asset-intensive and complex task.
Calling A&N Islands, India’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ to the East, Chinoy says there is no reason to deny the US, Japan, Australia, France or the UK access to the A&N Islands as port visits can lead to further graded cooperation in all its dimensions between India and its key strategic partners.
