- Our neighbor Sri Lanka is in the midst of a critical economic meltdown definitely needs no further emphasis or elaboration. India, as a close friend and a big neighboring nation, has extended every possible assistance to ensure the situation bogging the island nation does not fall into an abyss. Needless to mention, the Chinese leadership is itching to contribute to helping the Lankans tide over the crisis and position itself as a superpower whose overtures cannot be ignored. We also know how the erstwhile Rajapaksa dispensation was getting closer to China and it is widely considered one of the reasons for the present economic doldrums bogging the country.
PC: RCM Admin
- As mentioned above, China has always waded into neighboring nations’ affairs uninvited with dubious but ambitious intentions even at the cost of going against the established global order. We all know how the controversy surrounding the Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5 at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port was being played out over the last few days. The Indian establishment had expressed severe security concerns highlighting the necessity to stop the Chinese vessel from docking so nearer to us. Despite objections from India and the US, the Chinese vessel is now allowed to dock at the Lankan port highlighting Beijing’s growing maritime clout in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Yuan Wang 5 is strongly suspected to be a Chinese spy ship and is operated by People Liberation Army’s (PLA) Strategic Support Force. Apparently, after high-level representations from Beijing, Colombo backtracked royally ignoring the Indian concerns. The reason is quite easy to comprehend since Sri Lanka needs China’s support to restructure its massive external debt and qualify for an IMF bailout, which the Lankans desperately seek. On the flip side, India’s $4 billion emergency aid counted for less in the emerging scheme of things. As can be seen, this emerging situation is a major strategic headache for India.
PC: Priyali Dhingra
- Given Sri Lanka’s proximity to Indian shores and the current icy ties between New Delhi and Beijing, and also given that China today has the world’s largest navy, Chinese activities in IOR will add another dimension to an already formidable security challenge. Worryingly, China continues to produce military ships at a fast clip as part of its massive naval upgradation policy. As such, China is now deploying a vast array of grey-zone maritime tactics using both battleships – as it did recently in the Taiwan Strait – and its fleet of maritime militia and research vessels. The latter has been used extensively in the South China Sea.
- Recall that in 2019 another Chinese research and survey ship tried to create trouble for oil and gas production in the Vietnamese offshore block, an area that also has ONGC. Of course, Sri Lanka is caught between a rock and a hard place. Given India’s constraints, taking on China in IOR will require it to be more proactive as a Quad member to influence strategic decisions. One such decision could be removing restraints vis-à-vis the Taiwan policy that would make China realise that India means business and cannot be taken for granted.
