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China expects strategic dividends
By expanding its strategic influence in the Indian Ocean, China is also expanding the sea routes for its energy supplies. 80% of China’s oil must pass through the Strait of Malacca, a narrow waterway located in the eastern Indian Ocean between Indonesia and Malaysia.
The Chinese-operated Gwadar port on Pakistan’s southwestern coast could be China’s trump card in securing its interests in the Indian Ocean. Gwadar’s strategic location near the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping lane, would allow China to bypass a potential blockade of the Strait of Malacca via the Arabian Sea.
China is simultaneously strengthening Pakistan’s naval power and developing the country’s Gwadar port, moves that critics see as long-term Chinese investments that will pay strategic dividends in the future.
The US Pentagon has identified Gwadar Port as a possible location for China’s future military base. With a naval presence in Gwadar Port, China can conduct regular patrols in the Arabian Sea.
China’s long-standing strategic relationship with Pakistan presents new challenges to the rivals vying for dominance in the Indian Ocean.
Syed Fazl-e-Haider is a contributing analyst for South Asia at Wikistrat.
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