andLost in the Indian Ocean 1,100 kilometers north of Mauritius, two small islands with 289 inhabitants are currently employing politicians, military and strategists. Because the Agalega Archipelago has recorded India’s new role in the geo-economy at the urging of its democratic partners: Asia’s third-largest economy will participate in slowing down Beijing’s pace and will return it through investment and other means. Satellite images show that India is building a runway and two docks on the atoll. The Indians seem to be following on a small scale China’s years of land expropriation in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific: this area vital to the global economy is protected little by little by expanding military bases.
For a long time, the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean has been underestimated. It is the gateway of trade routes between Europe and oil countries on the one hand, and the factory of the world on the other-if there is no supply of oil and gas, it will be intermittent within a few days. Beijing realized this early on and increased its influence in the Indian Ocean. After land grabs in the South China Sea and its increasingly rampant activities, such as building infrastructure and dispatching submarines in the Indian Ocean, democratic countries’ interest in this vast sea area is increasing. After all, it is an important part of the Indo-Pacific region, which has created 60% of global economic output and two-thirds of growth. This is not just about shipping companies. It also involves providing fish, mineral resources and tourism to billions of people.Along with China, Japan and India, three of the four major economies are beyond here European Union.
The navy exercises in the forecourt of China
Despite all the internal problems such as the long-term weak economy and the corona disaster, India is now trying to play an increasingly stronger role in the region. Beijing’s actions made New Delhi understand that it cannot continue economic growth without ensuring the safety of its resources—for example, it relies on large amounts of offshore oil and gas transportation. At the same time, the four-nation alliance, the United States, Australia and Japan, and European democracies are putting increasing pressure on New Delhi because they see it as allies. Tony AbbottThe former prime minister who is now Australia’s special envoy for trade with India said on Monday that “the answer to almost all questions about China is India”. Therefore, he openly supports closer military relations, but also supports increased trade: “Because the trade agreement is not only about the economy but also about politics, the rapid trade agreement between India and Australia will be an important symbol of the democratic world. Departure from China .”
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi On Monday, he chaired the United Nations Security Council (UN) meeting on maritime security for the first time. Indian media commented that in view of the importance of the Indian Ocean, India is preparing to become a “maritime country.” A few days ago, India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant set sail for a test drive near Kochi. More importantly, the Ministry of Defense of New Delhi announced that this year India will hold a “Malabar” maritime exercise with its Quartet partners in the Western Pacific. Together with Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia, the Indians will conduct their own exercises in China’s forecourt in the South China Sea.
Stand up for China
Compared with the Western Pacific, the Indian Ocean through which most of the world’s oil is transported has so far been neglected. However, Beijing extended its arms here early: The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has set up a “supply base” in Djibouti directly in the Gulf of Aden. China is developing Gwadar Port in Pakistan as the end of its economic corridor in neighboring countries, which has now expanded to US$80 billion. In Sri Lanka, located in the center of India’s front yard, China has gained an important base in Hambantota Port. The Americans had a Diego Garcia military base equipped for the navy and aircraft a long time ago.
For many years, like Beijing, India and Mauritius, to which Agalega belongs, now deny any military intentions. But the 3000-meter long runway of the Boeing 737 or Airbus A321 and the buildings used for communication and surveillance technology have almost no outstanding issues. “This is an ideal location for a military base. Together with other Indian operational bases, this is very important,” said Samuel Bashfield of the Australian National University. Abhishek Mishra of the Observer Research Foundation of India, a think tank, said the islands will be used as a base for Indian scouts. Island resident Arnaud Poulay told Al Jazeera: “No one in Agaléga has been trained to work in such a port. Obviously, Indians will do this.”
Faced with the conflict with Beijing, Australia is showing more and more favors to India. Abbott only called on India to occupy a “predetermined position” in the world to fight China. Beijing “uses Western goodwill and wishful thinking to steal our technology and destroy our industry.”
