Indian Navy raises concerns over more Chinese vessels in Indian Ocean region

Mumbai, India — The proliferation of Chinese vessels extends beyond the South China Sea; India has reported their growing number in the Indian Ocean region.

In a meeting with visiting reporters from the Indo-Pacific region in Mumbai, a senior official from the Indian Western Naval Command, who requested not to be named, noted an increase in Chinese maritime militia vessels in the North and Central Arabian seas.

The Indian Navy has reported spotting an average of over 500 Chinese militia vessels, which are suspected of engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as intelligence gathering.

The military expressed concerns that continued overfishing in the region could create an “ecological imbalance” that would impact the tuna supply. The Indian Ocean accounts for around a fifth of the world’s tuna production, according to the World Wide Fund (WWF) Seafood Sustainability study.

Chinese vessels reportedly remain in the area for six to eight months at a time, taking breaks only during the monsoon season.

“Year on year, the number of Chinese fishing vessels has consistently been rising. Their presence is a cause for concern for us,” the military official said.

The Indian Navy is also examining possible links between the Chinese fishing fleet and intelligence gathering operations.

“They are the eyes and ears of the Chinese military,” the navy official said.

In addition to the fishing vessels, the Indian Navy has observed Chinese research ships and warships in the Indian Ocean.

However, the official clarified that, so far, no interference or violation of any country’s exclusive economic zone in the region has been recorded, unlike incidents between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

The Indian Ocean Region generally expands from the Strait of Malacca in the east to the Mozambique Channel in the west.

This area encompasses the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and 33 littoral countries with a combined population of around 2.9 billion.

NewsWatch Plus is reaching out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the reported presence of Chinese militia vessels in the Indian Ocean.