*New Delhi, Jan 15:* The Chinese Navy’s presence is rapidly increasing inthe Indian Ocean region and the Indian Navy is keeping a watch on thedevelopments through “mission-based” deployments, Navy Chief AdmiralKarambir Singh said on Wednesday.
*[image: Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh]**Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh*
The Navy chief asserted that China’s Belt and Road Initiative and theChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor impinge on India’s sovereignty.
Speaking at a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue here, he also saidthat there have been instances when People’s Liberation Army (PLA) shipshave entered India’s exclusive economic zones and the Navy has told themthat it impinges on Indian interests.
Asked if China has abided by India’s assertions when such incidents havetaken place, Admiral Singh said in one such incident, recently, “we actedthen, they respected and moved out”.
His remarks were in reference to the incident in which a Chinese naval shipwas driven away from India’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Andaman sea.
The Chinese Navy is the strategic arm of the PLA and it has grown at a veryrapid pace, Admiral Singh said.
“We are all aware of the numbers, the tonnage, the number of ships,everything that is growing. We have seen in the Indian Ocean region itselfstarting 2008 when they came in for the anti-piracy patrol.
“Before that they weren’t really very obvious in the Indian Ocean regionbut now you find that at any given time, 7 to 8 PLA warships in that area,”he said.
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Djibouti is a reality, Gwadar is on and more places are to come, he said,speaking on China’s growing presence.
“We have placed our ships in mission-based deployments so that we get anidea what are the activities, not only of China but of all other countries,so that if there is anything that impinges on our national interest orsovereignty, we will have to act,” Singh said.
“To my mind if there is any maritime activity that deviates from the normor rule-based order, that can cause regional instability. That is what weare looking for,” he said.
Besides Admiral Singh, Japan’s Joint Staff of Self-Defense Forces Gen. KojiYamazaki, Australia’s Vice Chief of the Defence Force Adm. David Johnston,France’s Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy,Ministry of Armed Forces Gen. Luc de Rancourt, and the UK’s Chief of NavalStaff Adm.
Tony Radakin, took part in the panel discussion. Talking about the Quadgrouping, comprising the United States, Australia, Japan and India, Adm.Johnston said it is a shared enterprise between like-minded democracies.
Adm Singh said the Quad will evolve organically because there was a commonunderstanding among its members of what they want as the end goal.
