Parliamentary Panel Urges Vigilance Against Joint Naval Threat from China, Pakistan

Swift Summary

• A Parliamentary Panel on External Affairs expressed concerns over China’s growing presence and influence in the indian Ocean Region (IOR),citing significant risks to India’s national security and strategic interests.
• The “China-Pakistan naval nexus” was flagged as particularly troubling, facilitating joint military exercises and advancing Pakistan’s naval capabilities.
• strategic positioning under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and “String of Pearls” strategy has been deemed a reconfiguration of regional geopolitics in China’s favor.
• china has deployed infrastructure projects, research vessels, advanced warships, submarines, and aircraft carriers to enhance its operational foothold in the IOR. It now possesses the world’s largest naval fleet.
• In 2024 alone, Chinese navy ships made 22 port calls across IOR countries, further increasing maritime engagement in key areas.
• Pakistan Navy is modernizing with support from China and Turkiye through upgrades including warships, submarines equipped with Air Autonomous Propulsion systems, advanced aircrafts, and unmanned assets.
• Recommendations by the panel include:

– Strengthening India’s maritime domain awareness using technologies like satellite surveillance systems and artificial intelligence.
– Enhancing naval capabilities via anti-submarine warfare vessels, surveillance aircrafts, nuclear-powered submarines.
– Deepening defense cooperation with IOR littoral states through joint exercises for capacity-building initiatives.

Indian opinion Analysis

The parliamentary report highlights an evolving geopolitical dynamic in the Indian Ocean region that is reshaping power balances.China’s attempts at solidifying its influence-through infrastructural expansion tied to BRI projects alongside military modernization-pose direct challenges to India’s historic strategic autonomy over key maritime corridors.With its navy surpassing even that of the United States numerically combined with targeted collaborations with Pakistan via joint exercises or resource-sharing programs expands complexities for India’s defense calculus substantially.For India to mitigate emerging threats proactively might require both immediate technological investments into monitoring potential security gaps as well instead multi-lateral diplomatic coalition strengthening contacts Both nearest neighboring global International partners upto logical dimension expanding globally Advanced efforts beyond existing circumstances might help clarifying persisting pressure bündeln tackling uncertainties upcoming Alongside parallel tracks working consolidate primarily safeguards achieve navigate resiliently challenging future

— Read more@[https…]