China adds to India’s woes
— Dr Monika Chansoria
Trouble appears to be brewing amongst the Asian nations, including India, with
China building a massive strategic underground submarine naval base that could
house N-submarines and a host of aircraft carriers on Hainan Island. in South
China Sea, south of Hong Kong. The base, being built near the holiday resort of
Sanya on Hainan Island’s southern tip, was revealed by commercial satellite
images on May 3, 2008.
According to satellite imagery reported by the Federation of American
Scientists and Britain’s Daily Telegraph, the base has a sea entrance wide
enough to allow submarines to enter the underground facilities with as many as
11 tunnel openings.
Beijing seems to have circumspectly designed this new base since it stands at
close proximity to vital sea-lanes in the South China Sea and Straits of
Malacca. The Chinese are resolute to protect this since 80 per cent of its oil
supplies presently move through the channel before traversing the South China
Sea to mainland ports. In addition, the location could give China better access
to disputed territories, such as the Parcel Islands and Spratly Islands in the
South China Sea.
Furthermore, the Hainan Island underground base, incidentally, will house the
new Shang-class Type 093 nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and the
in-class Type-094 SSBNs. Moreover, the new Type 094 Jin-class submarines were
captured in the images.
‘The Jin-class includes 12 missile silos and will be equipped with Julang-2
submarine-launched ballistic missiles with a reported maximum range of almost
5,000 miles. The location of the base off Hainan are expected to give the
submarines access to very deep waters—exceeding 15,000 feet—within a few miles.
making them even harder to detect.
Refusing to confirm or deny the submarine base, Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Qin Gang said, “There is no need for the Western countries to be
worried, or concerned, or make any irresponsible accusations. We have a vast
territorial sea and it is the sacred duty of the Chinese army to safeguard the
sovereignty of our territorial sea and maritime rights and interests. China’s
national defence and military building will not pose a threat to any country.”
Palpably. these developments are being monitored minutely in India since New
Delhi holds significant security interests in the Indian Ocean. Expressing
security concerns at China’s nuclear submarine base. Indian Navy Chief Admiral
Sureesh Mehta said, “Though India is not worried about Beijing building a
strategic naval base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea, it is concerned
about the numbers. Nuclear submarines have long legs (traversing anywhere
between 7,000-15,000 km) and it is immaterial where they are based.”
Apparently, unlike conventional (diesel-electric) submarines, nuclear-powered
submarines have the ability to remain submerged for long periods of time.
Incidentally. India successfully tested its 3,500 km-range nuclear capable
intermediate range ballistic missile Agni-III on May 7, 2008. Agni III is
capable of reaching targets in Beijing and Shanghai and is ready for induction.
Although India possesses air and land-based nuclear delivery platforms in the
form of ballistic missiles (Agni and Prithvi), an undersea platform such as a
nuclear submarine, the third leg of a nuclear triad, remains deficient.
Indian Navy is considered to be the world’s fifth largest and New Delhi for
years has been pursuing indigenous nuclear-powered submarine capability, under
what is known as the ATV pursuing (advanced technology vessel) project.
Moreover, New Delhi is in discussions with Moscow for a 12,000-ton Akula-11
class nuclear submarine. In case it finds success, India would be the sixth
country to follow the US. Russia. Britain. France and China to boast of a sea
borne nuclear deterrent.
Crucially, there is a sizeable section of the strategic community within India
that views China as a long-term military threat, surpassing Pakistan. China’s
‘strategic encirclement strategy of India’ is of critical significance for New
Delhi where in Beijing it has built the Gwadar port, as an alternative to
Karachi, beyond the easy reach of Indian Navy. Similarly, on India’s vulnerable
northeast, China has a close ally in Myanmar, which will be providing China
direct access to the Indian Ocean by passing the Malacca Straits. In the south,
Sri Lanka is receiving special attention from China, where Beijing is
developing the Hambantota port in the southern tip of the island, which
dominates the Indian Ocean shipping lanes.
Even though, Chinese nuclear submarines have so far never operated in the
Indian Ocean, this latest facility—which is 2.000 nautical miles away from the
Andaman Islands—will be its nearest access point to the region. Given the huge
volumes of oil movement between the Persian Gulf and the Malacca Straits
towards North Asia, the Indian Navy has been looking to plug this deficiency.
Significantly, another crucial factor impinging on Asia’s strategic paradigm is
China’s “String of Pearls” phenomenon that describes Beijing’s rising
geopolitical influence through efforts to increase access to ports and
airfields. develop special diplomatic relationships, and modernize military
forces that extend from the South China Sea through the Straits of Malacca,
across the Indian Ocean, and on to the Arabian Gulf.
Militarily. the US too would be intent at maintaining superior military power
to guarantee security and serve as a hedge against a possible future “China
threat”. In the “String of Pearls” region, US efforts are aimed at broadening
and deepening American influence among the regional states, including India.
There is an emerging sense that the growing defence cooperation between
emerging , Washington, and New Delhi could well be attributed to the
commonality of the ‘China factor’.
The ‘Malabar CY 07-2’ naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal held in the first
week of September last year, precisely demonstrated this and undeniably
represented a major shift in India’s strategic security perceptions. The
exercises were the largest-ever naval exercise in this part of the world, with
as many as 10 warships and nearly 200 aircrafts from five participating nations
comprising Australia, Japan, India, the US, and Singapore.
Besides, in a clear departure from the past, it signaled India’s entry into the
‘quadrilateral initiative’, a new strategic security combine in which New Delhi
joins as a key member of the security triad of Australia, Japan and the
US—developments that add on to Beijing’s strategic concern vis-a-vis the
emerging Asian security paradigm. –INFA
Source: Assam Tribune
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