Page 2 of
2 China moves into India's back
yard By Sudha Ramachandran
Haider, an analyst at the
Washington-based Stimson Center, has noted.
Other "pearls" that China has been
developing are naval facilities in Bangladesh,
where it is developing a container-port facility
at Chittagong; in Myanmar, where it is building
radar, refit and refuel facilities at bases in
Sittwe, Coco, Hianggyi, Khaukphyu, Mergui and
Zadetkyi Kyun; and in Thailand and Cambodia.
At this juncture the Hambantota project
does not seem to be in the same league as Gwadar.
For one, it is not clear whether the
Sri
Lankans want China to develop Hambantota on the
lines of the Pakistani port. Besides, Hambantota
does not sit at the mouth of the strategic Persian
Gulf. Neither is the port as vital to China's
energy security or trade and economic development
as are other "pearls" such as Gwadar and Sittwe.
But the significance of Hambantota to
China lies in its proximity to India's south coast
and on the fact that it provides Beijing with
presence midway in the Indian Ocean.
The
Indian Ocean is a critical waterway for global
trade and commerce. Half the world's containerized
freight, a third of its bulk cargo and two-thirds
of its oil shipments travel through the Indian
Ocean. It provides major sea routes connecting
Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia
with Europe and the Americas and is home to
several critical chokepoints such as the Strait of
Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca.
This
makes the Indian Ocean important to the Chinese,
the Americans, the Indians, the Japanese and
scores of other countries, and hence the
calculated moves of several powers to consolidate
their presence in Indian Ocean littorals.
This is the prime factor motivating the
Americans to go for the ACSA with the Sri Lankans.
The agreement provides a framework for increased
interoperability to transfer and exchange
logistics supplies, and support and refueling
services during peacekeeping missions,
humanitarian operations, and joint exercises. In
essence, it will give the Americans a base at
India's doorstep.
While the US has
described this agreement as "a barter deal on
goods and services" and as "a very routine and
fairly moderate" agreement, others are warning
that it has "major ramifications for the region,
particularly India".
"For all the
sophistry and spin by the Americans, the ACSA is a
military deal and, on the face of it, is loaded in
Washington's favor," wrote Muralidhar Reddy, The
Hindu's Colombo-based correspondent. "For the US,
it is as good as acquiring a base in the Indian
Ocean, and at little or no cost.
"Just a
few years ago, such an agreement would have been
inconceivable given the sensitivities of India in
view of the geographical proximity of Sri Lanka.
For example, the grant of permission by Colombo to
Voice of America to establish its transmitter on
the island and the leasing of oil tanks in
Trincomalee port to pro-American firms were major
bones of contention between India and Sri Lanka
for decades," Reddy wrote.
But today New
Delhi is silent. This is because of "the changed
geopolitical environment in the post-Cold War era"
and the changed India-US relationship.
"The provisions of the ACSA cannot be
described as being detrimental to New Delhi's
interests in the current phase of its relations
with Washington," wrote Reddy, adding: "However,
in a possible new context, India has every reason
to be concerned about the pact."
During
the Cold War, India bitterly opposed the US
presence in Diego Garcia, 1,600km to the south of
India's coast. But today, with India-US relations
blossoming, Delhi appears to have given its
blessings to a US "base" in a country that is a
few dozen kilometers from its coastline.
Today it is only China lurking in waters
near its coast that worries India.
But
both deals that Sri Lanka finalized with the
Chinese and the Americans last week make India's
southern neighborhood more crowded with
extra-regional powers. This has implications for
India's security and its interests and ambitions
in the Indian Ocean.
Sudha
Ramachandran is an independent
journalist/researcher based in Bangalore.
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