CHINA INDIAN OCEAN REGION FORUM

1. Context

2. China Indian Ocean Region Forum

• The forum was “the first high-level official development cooperation forum jointly held by China and countries in the Indian Ocean Region” and “over 100 participants, including senior officials from 19 countries bordering the Indian Ocean” attended.
• China “proposed to establish a marine disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation mechanism between China and countries in the Indian Ocean region” and “all parties agreed” to “strengthen policy coordination, deepen development cooperation, increase resilience to shocks and disasters, and enhance relevant countries’ capacity to obtain economic benefits through the use of marine resources such as fisheries, renewable energy, tourism, and shipping in a sustainable way.” 

3. Countries of the Indian Ocean Region were Present in the Forum

• The first China-Indian Ocean Region Forum was hosted by China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) which according to its website formulates policies and coordinates major foreign aid issues.
• According to a press release issued by CIDCA, high-level representatives of 19 countries including Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, Australia and representatives of three international organizations were present at the hybrid forum.
• However, Australia and Maldives said that they did not participate in the recently held Indian Ocean Region Forum convened by China.
• Moreover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry refuses to disclose who were the participants from other countries. Generally, details of participants are disclosed in multilateral engagements.

4. Concerns

• China has often been accused of engaging in "debt diplomacy" in these countries under its Belt and Road Initiative allegedly in the name of infrastructure development.
• Since 2008, China has regularly deployed a contingent of naval warships in the Gulf of Aden and established its first foreign military base in Djibouti in 2017.
• At the same time, India's absence is seen as an attempt to challenge India's traditional presence in the region amid apprehensions of politicization of the Indian Ocean region. Moreover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry refused to disclose who the participants were from other countries.
• India has been a traditional partner and supporter of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) countries.

5. India's Presence in IORA

• In addition, to act as a first responder during major crises in the littoral countries, India regularly engages with the Indian Ocean Littoral countries through such mechanisms as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)  and Indian Ocean Navies Symposium (IONS) under the vision of security and Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR).
• India has a strong influence in the Indian Ocean region where India-backed organizations like the IORA have taken strong roots.
• India continues to promote its official policy of "Coordination, Cooperation, and Partnership" in the regional maritime domain.

6. Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

• It was established in 1997 and is a regional forum that seeks to build and expand understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation through consensus-based, evolutionary and non-intrusive approaches.
• IORA has 23 member states and 9 Dialogue partners. The members are Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
• The IORA secretariat is based in Mauritius. The association gains importance from the fact that the Indian Ocean carries half of the World's container ships, one-third of the world's bulk cargo traffic, and two-thirds of the world's oil shipments.
• It is a lifeline of international trade and transport and the Indian Ocean region is woven together by trade routes and commands control of major sea lanes.

7. China's plan for the IOR

• The forum has underlined China’s stepped-up interest in the IOR, where it is already a major trading partner for most countries and where lie sea routes are vital to China’s economic interests.
• The CIDCA forum is the latest initiative to reflect Beijing’s view that it has a clear stake in the region, and that more such initiatives are likely.
• Beijing’s first-ever overseas military facility was set up in Djibouti near the Horn of Africa. Chinese military ships, tracking vessels, and submarines have been visiting ports in the region with greater frequency.
• China this year launched its third aircraft carrier and has a long-term plan to deploy six
  aircraft carriers to secure China’s maritime interests, and two of them will be based in the Indian Ocean Region.