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In an interaction with Indian reporters in Beijing, Chinese officials said they believed that India and China needed to expand military ties.
A Chinese Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) vessel is seen in the southern Indian Ocean. Photo:Reuters
As the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy expands its profile in the Indian Ocean with recent submarine visits to Sri Lanka and more recently Pakistan, its officials have moved to assuage India's concerns by emphasising its motivations were driven by trade and security and not aimed at India, although with one important caveat: it would be a mistake for New Delhi to consider the ocean's international waters as "its backyard".
In an interaction with visiting Indian reporters in Beijing, officials from the Chinese Defence Ministry and the PLA's top think-tanks, such as the National Defence University, PLA Air Force Command Academy and PLA Navy Academic Institute said they believed that India and China needed to expand military ties to reduce strategic mistrust, and bolster exercises between the armies, navies and air force.
Especially as the two navies more frequently encounter each other on the high seas of the Indian Ocean, where the PLA Navy (PLAN) has taken part in anti-piracy escorts since 2008, and in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, where India is devoting more attention, Beijing is of the view the two sides need to do more to build trust - and be more open.
Senior Captain Zhao Yi, who is Associate Professor at the Institute of Strategy of the elite National Defence University, said: "I admit that geographically speaking India has a special role to play in stabilising the Indian Ocean region and South Asian region. But [for the Indian Ocean], backyard is not a very appropriate word to use for an open sea and international areas of sea."
"If the Indian side views the Indian Ocean as its backyard," he added, "it cannot explain why navies from Russia, the United States, Australia have the right of free navigation in Indian Ocean."
He said one American scholar had warned of the possibility of "clashes" in the Indian Ocean. "I don't agree," Senior Captain Zhao said, but added: "If some countries view it as their backyard, then this [possibility] could not be eliminated."
The Chinese experts did, however, acknowledge the need for more transparency, especially in the wake of concerns in Indian strategic circles over submarine visits by the PLAN to Sri Lanka last year and to Pakistan earlier this year. China described both visits as routine.
"When most submarines navigate we inform our neighbouring countries to reduce concerns and enhance mutual trust," said Zhang Wei, Researcher of the PLA Navy Academic Institute. Zhang added that China's attention on the Indian Ocean Region was driven by trade, with key energy imports passing through the waters. "The Chinese navy's presence in the Indian Ocean is to protect maritime security and of sealines of communication. We should make efforts to strengthen trust. If there are still doubts and concerns of navigation in the Indian Ocean then I believe we haven't done enough to enhance mutual trust," said Zhang.
A recent defence white paper underlined the PLA Navy's growing profile, reflecting a shift from a focus on defence of offshore waters to "open seas protection".
Senior Colonel Yang Yujun, who is the Deputy Director General of the Defence Ministry's Information Office, said part of the navy's rising role was in anti-piracy escort missions in the Indian Ocean, where it had, since its first deployment in 2008, provided protection for 6000 ships, of which 60 per cent were foreign.
He said these missions had "open and transparent purposes, and this was clearly stated to Indian friends and other countries". "India has an understanding of the PLA Navy's activities. Communication is smooth," he said, adding that both sides had through joint escort missions boosted strategic trust.
"India has extended an invitation to the PLA Navy to attend a fleet review in 2016. This shows a lot of cooperation and understanding at the military level. Some misunderstanding and speculation comes from a lack of understanding or knowledge about these developments. Now relations between two sides has become much more mature than before."
He said direct links between the general headquarters of China and India will be established soon, following a recent agreement to operationalise hotlines. "This will be conducive to enhancing mutual trust, preventing misjudgements and managing crises," he said, adding that despite the fact that the border had not been delineated both countries "have willingness to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas".
On China-Pakistan relations, Major Jiang Bin, Staff Officer in the Defence Ministry Foreign Affairs Office Asian Affairs Bureau, said "one important policy" of China's was that its ties with Pakistan are "never directed at India". He said just as India had on occasion expressed concern over China-Pakistan ties, at several instances Pakistanis had voiced similar anxieties over improving relations between India and China.
"Frankly speaking," he said, "in the past we know there are unresolved problems between India and Pakistan, this is a fact. But in the past even Pakistani friends asked us, 'We notice you are making a lot of progress in relations with India. Will this affect China-Pakistan relations?' They too have a similar concern."
PLA plays down Indian Ocean visits, but says ocean not India's backyard : World, News - India Today
As the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy expands its profile in the Indian Ocean with recent submarine visits to Sri Lanka and more recently Pakistan, its officials have moved to assuage India's concerns by emphasising its motivations were driven by trade and security and not aimed at India, although with one important caveat: it would be a mistake for New Delhi to consider the ocean's international waters as "its backyard".
In an interaction with visiting Indian reporters in Beijing, officials from the Chinese Defence Ministry and the PLA's top think-tanks, such as the National Defence University, PLA Air Force Command Academy and PLA Navy Academic Institute said they believed that India and China needed to expand military ties to reduce strategic mistrust, and bolster exercises between the armies, navies and air force.
Especially as the two navies more frequently encounter each other on the high seas of the Indian Ocean, where the PLA Navy (PLAN) has taken part in anti-piracy escorts since 2008, and in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, where India is devoting more attention, Beijing is of the view the two sides need to do more to build trust - and be more open.
Senior Captain Zhao Yi, who is Associate Professor at the Institute of Strategy of the elite National Defence University, said: "I admit that geographically speaking India has a special role to play in stabilising the Indian Ocean region and South Asian region. But [for the Indian Ocean], backyard is not a very appropriate word to use for an open sea and international areas of sea."
"If the Indian side views the Indian Ocean as its backyard," he added, "it cannot explain why navies from Russia, the United States, Australia have the right of free navigation in Indian Ocean."
He said one American scholar had warned of the possibility of "clashes" in the Indian Ocean. "I don't agree," Senior Captain Zhao said, but added: "If some countries view it as their backyard, then this [possibility] could not be eliminated."
The Chinese experts did, however, acknowledge the need for more transparency, especially in the wake of concerns in Indian strategic circles over submarine visits by the PLAN to Sri Lanka last year and to Pakistan earlier this year. China described both visits as routine.
"When most submarines navigate we inform our neighbouring countries to reduce concerns and enhance mutual trust," said Zhang Wei, Researcher of the PLA Navy Academic Institute. Zhang added that China's attention on the Indian Ocean Region was driven by trade, with key energy imports passing through the waters. "The Chinese navy's presence in the Indian Ocean is to protect maritime security and of sealines of communication. We should make efforts to strengthen trust. If there are still doubts and concerns of navigation in the Indian Ocean then I believe we haven't done enough to enhance mutual trust," said Zhang.
A recent defence white paper underlined the PLA Navy's growing profile, reflecting a shift from a focus on defence of offshore waters to "open seas protection".
Senior Colonel Yang Yujun, who is the Deputy Director General of the Defence Ministry's Information Office, said part of the navy's rising role was in anti-piracy escort missions in the Indian Ocean, where it had, since its first deployment in 2008, provided protection for 6000 ships, of which 60 per cent were foreign.
He said these missions had "open and transparent purposes, and this was clearly stated to Indian friends and other countries". "India has an understanding of the PLA Navy's activities. Communication is smooth," he said, adding that both sides had through joint escort missions boosted strategic trust.
"India has extended an invitation to the PLA Navy to attend a fleet review in 2016. This shows a lot of cooperation and understanding at the military level. Some misunderstanding and speculation comes from a lack of understanding or knowledge about these developments. Now relations between two sides has become much more mature than before."
He said direct links between the general headquarters of China and India will be established soon, following a recent agreement to operationalise hotlines. "This will be conducive to enhancing mutual trust, preventing misjudgements and managing crises," he said, adding that despite the fact that the border had not been delineated both countries "have willingness to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas".
On China-Pakistan relations, Major Jiang Bin, Staff Officer in the Defence Ministry Foreign Affairs Office Asian Affairs Bureau, said "one important policy" of China's was that its ties with Pakistan are "never directed at India". He said just as India had on occasion expressed concern over China-Pakistan ties, at several instances Pakistanis had voiced similar anxieties over improving relations between India and China.
"Frankly speaking," he said, "in the past we know there are unresolved problems between India and Pakistan, this is a fact. But in the past even Pakistani friends asked us, 'We notice you are making a lot of progress in relations with India. Will this affect China-Pakistan relations?' They too have a similar concern."
PLA plays down Indian Ocean visits, but says ocean not India's backyard : World, News - India Today
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