China in the Indian Ocean: Progress, Implications, and Responses

This research aims to elucidate the implications of China’s presence in the Indian Ocean. This paper uses qualitative methods with secondary data as resources. The Indian Sea is a strategic crossroads for world maritime trade. Thousands or even millions of ships carry out transactions at various ports every year. However, this location is the subject of maritime problems that threaten security, such as ship hijacking. Since President Xi Jinping took office, China has started to be active and massive in a series of actions to maintain maritime security. This change in attitude was marked by the construction of Chinese military ports in Djibouti in 2017. Hence, this paper notes some significant impacts of China’s actions. First, China has threatened Indian territory. India has implemented policies to lessen the movements, such as increasing the military budget. Second, there are attaching responses from the United States and its alliances—India, Australia, and the United Kingdom. These countries have undergone a joint military exercise called the Malabar Exercise and are reviving QUAD.