Bangladesh navy has begun training with <g data-gr-id="40">Indian</g> navy. India is also willing to provide them with patrol crafts, offshore patrol vessels and other small ships for shore-based patrolling. Sources say that the Chinese had been providing them old boats and even two types of 033 class submarines. Not so long ago, armed forces of Bangladesh were aligned with the Chinese. Bangladesh army even had the Indian army as the ‘red force’ in their exercises.
On the other hand, the Chinese submarines have been visiting the Gwadar port in Karachi, Pakistan since 2013 for replenishment, rest and recreation. While New Delhi did not make its apprehensions felt in public, this time when the Chinese sub docked at the port, the government decided to make some noise.
The message it wanted to send is that it took note of the development and considering the simmering differences between the two countries and China’s deepening nexus with Pakistan is becoming a cause of worry.
However, sources say that considering the distance Peoples’ Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) has to cover a larger distance to be in the Arabian Sea or the Indian Ocean. Hence, this creates a vulnerability for the ships. Similarly, sources <g data-gr-id="39">acknowledge,</g> when the Indian naval ships <g data-gr-id="37">goes</g> to <g data-gr-id="38">South China Sea</g> and the East China Sea or what is now called the Indo-Pacific region, it faces challenges.
China’s stakes in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) are, of course, higher because 89 <g data-gr-id="30">per cent</g> of its oil and $ 5.6 trillion of commodity trade passes through this area.
Indian navy is also heightening its presence in the IOR in terms of undertaking surveillance on the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZs). It also provides help to three nations of the region, Mauritius, Seychelles and Maldives in patrolling their EEZs. Though these are joint exercises with the naval personnel of <g data-gr-id="43">the any</g> of the three nations in <g data-gr-id="42">rotation</g>, usually the representatives of these nations are onboard Indian naval ships under the command of the Indian officers.
Indian navy sails more regularly the South and East China Sea with higher frequency now and <g data-gr-id="41">are</g> worried about the artificial islands that are being built by the Chinese. Because if they continue unhindered, they could easily demarcate 12-km littoral limits that will keep monopolising most of the two seas that China considers its territorial seas.
However, the Indian navy’s movements are not coordinated with the US navy or any other navy as the Indian vessels operate independently.