string of pearls
STRING OF PEARLS
Introduction
String of pearls is the name given to strategic encirclement of India by China in Indian Ocean WHICH comprises a chain of Chinese facilities, commercial or military, along its sea lanes of communication, extending from the Chinese mainland to Africa.
This runs through many choke points like Strait of Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Malacca.
The term was first used in US DoD report. But China insists that its strategy is entirely peaceful; designed solely to protect its sea lanes; and is not encirclement of India.
Though many scholars find China to be a good example of offensive realism, but today I will prove that it is the theory of defensive realism that explains this concept of string of pearls in Indian Ocean. The point is that we focus only on Indian Ocean.
China is a rising economy, future of which also depends heavily on steady flow of imported resources, especially oil.
For China, it is not just an issue of economic growth, but of the longevity of the Communist Party, which derives its legitimacy from the economic growth.
Therefore Chinese leadership employs strategies to ensure continued energy supplies, which largely depends on SLOC in the Indian Ocean.
China fears that adversaries could block the sea lanes thereby devastate China’s economy.
According to defensive realism, the only way to counteract such vulnerability is to pursue military and diplomatic strategies to increase security.
Thus China has chosen the concept of “active defence” and therein the tenet of “offshore defense.” It says that since China’s national interests are extending, its “security boundary” is spreading.
In the eyes of India, which has similar concerns over energy security, China’s actions appear to be a “power maximization” strategy.
This may induce India to engage in similar behaviour. A security dilemma may follow in which a series of reactive security
Introduction
String of pearls is the name given to strategic encirclement of India by China in Indian Ocean WHICH comprises a chain of Chinese facilities, commercial or military, along its sea lanes of communication, extending from the Chinese mainland to Africa.
This runs through many choke points like Strait of Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Malacca.
The term was first used in US DoD report. But China insists that its strategy is entirely peaceful; designed solely to protect its sea lanes; and is not encirclement of India.
Though many scholars find China to be a good example of offensive realism, but today I will prove that it is the theory of defensive realism that explains this concept of string of pearls in Indian Ocean. The point is that we focus only on Indian Ocean.
China is a rising economy, future of which also depends heavily on steady flow of imported resources, especially oil.
For China, it is not just an issue of economic growth, but of the longevity of the Communist Party, which derives its legitimacy from the economic growth.
Therefore Chinese leadership employs strategies to ensure continued energy supplies, which largely depends on SLOC in the Indian Ocean.
China fears that adversaries could block the sea lanes thereby devastate China’s economy.
According to defensive realism, the only way to counteract such vulnerability is to pursue military and diplomatic strategies to increase security.
Thus China has chosen the concept of “active defence” and therein the tenet of “offshore defense.” It says that since China’s national interests are extending, its “security boundary” is spreading.
In the eyes of India, which has similar concerns over energy security, China’s actions appear to be a “power maximization” strategy.
This may induce India to engage in similar behaviour. A security dilemma may follow in which a series of reactive security