China and India's naval confidence-building measures

India and China plan to conduct joint naval exercises soon as part of bilateral confidence-building-measures (CBMs) aimed at ensuring that competition between the two nuclear neighbours and economic rivals does not develop into conflict.
Military officials in New Delhi said People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) chief Admiral Wu Shengli would be making a maiden visit to India later in 2008 to discuss the exercise schedule.
The proposed exercises would follow two earlier rounds of daylong naval manoeuvres held in 2003 and April 2007. "The Indian Navy [IN], like the PLAN, is following a policy of keeping its friends close but its enemies closer," a three star naval officer said. He said the IN was keen to gauge the PLAN'soperational efficiency.
The IN is deeply concerned over China's 'string of pearls' strategy of clinching regional defense and security agreements to secure its mounting fuel requirements, enhance its military profile from the Persian Gulf to the South China Sea and significantly expand its presence in the Indian Ocean region.
China's newly revealed strategic submarine base near Sanya on Hainan Island which houses Shang-class (Type 093) and Jin class (Type 094) nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) is also a source of tension.
The IN believes the SSn base was 'ideally located' to allow PLAN easy access in interdicting vital sea lanes of communication in India's maritime territory in the Andaman Sea adjoining the Chinese-controlled Strait of Malacca.
India also remains wary of the rapid modernisation of the PLA and its expanding infrastructure building up along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LoAC) between the two sides and also of the military and strategic ties between the Chinese and Pakistani armed forces.
Relations between Delhi and Beijing had deteriorated after China raised objections at the recent meeting of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna regarding the US backed proposal to allow India to conduct global civilian nuclear commerce whilst retaining its strategic weapon programme. The NSG waiver was eventually granted, although China abstained.
On 8 September India's Foreign Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, conveyed his "unhappiness" over Beijing's move to block the NSG waiver in talks with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, in Delhi. Yang insisted his country had played a "constructive" role at the NSG.
Meanwhile, the 12th round of talks to resolve the Sino-Indian border dispute opened in Beijing on 18 September. Officials in Delhi were downbeat on the chances of achieving a settlement, despite diplomatic, political and economic ties between the neighbours having improved considerably over the past decade.
Courtesy: Janes Defence Weekly.