India fears biggest strategic loss at hands of Pakistan China
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TEHRAN: A remote Iranian port could be the next trigger for geopolitical tensions between rivals China and India. India has pledged more than $500 million to develop the strategically located port of Chabahar — roughly 1,800 kilometers (1,110 miles) from the capital Tehran — since it first expressed interest in 2003. Yet repeated delays have prompted Iran to turn to China in the hope of speeding up construction.
On a March trip to Islamabad, Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he'd welcome Chinese and Pakistani investment in Chabahar.
He cited China's development of Gwadar, a port down the coast that is a showcase of President Xi Jinping's Belt-and-Road infrastructure initiative.
The shift makes sense for Iran, which wants to ensure Chabahar is an economic success. But it could be a strategic loss for India, which opposes China's expansion in the Indian Ocean and is already worried that Gwadar could one day be used as a military base — along with other China-backed ports from Myanmar to Bangladesh to Sri Lanka.
Any formal investment from Beijing would further weaken the strategic advantage for New Delhi to invest in Chabahar, which is close to Pakistan's western border.
The Gwadar port is part of Xi's plan to finance $50 billion in infrastructure investments in Pakistan, and Chinese merchants already have a strong foothold in Chabahar.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
"Delhi would likely take the view that any Chinese presence at Chabahar, even if not involved in the operation of the port, could be used as a way of undermining India's influence with local authorities," said David Brewster, a senior research fellow with the Australian National University's National Security College. "It could also be potentially used to facilitate surveillance of India's activities."
While it's unclear whether China will take up Iran's offer, the involvement of a cash-rich and expansionist Beijing would almost certainly speed up development of the port.
China has overland train connections linking China to Iran and "huge" investments in the country, said Manoj Joshi, a distinguished fellow at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think-tank. "China is much deeper there than India."
