In a rare admission, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said that the increasing assertiveness of China in India’s eastern sector and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is a cause of concern.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday, 21 February, the Navy Chief raised a red flag citing the frequent “transgressions” of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
He said that Beijing’s assertiveness follows the rapid progress China has made economically and militarily.
Referring to the 2017 Doklam crisis Admiral Lanba said that such developments underscore the “vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor”.
The corridor, also known as Chicken’s Neck, is a narrow stretch of land north of Bangladesh and south of Bhutan which connects northeast to rest of India.
The Navy Chief’s remarks came amid reports that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) sent six ships to join five others in the eastern IOR in the wake of the political crisis in Maldives.
But the Indian Navy rejected the reports stating that there is no Chinese naval ship near Maldives. India, however, said that two Chinese vessels – a destroyer and a frigate – entered the eastern IOR from the Sunda Strait (between Java and Sumatra islands) and exited through Lombok Strait (between Bali and Lombok islands).
Indian Navy has deployed one warship each in East of Indonesia, Malacca Strait, Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden, next to the waters of Sri Lanka, one between Bangladesh and Myanmar and one between the Seychelles and Mauritius.
The measures are to check any Chinese naval presence in the IOR.