"West China Sea" to replace Indian Ocean

Following "Fewer Pakistani subs operational while India to gain one" of August 13, 2021 and inspired by Ghalib Kabir’s comments:

"West China Sea" is not as funny as it sounds. Senior Chinese Communist Party leaders in the past have been so contemptuous of India, that they felt India did not deserve to be associated with one of the world’s large oceans. 

Fortunately, China still has a long way to go to create its own Mare Nostrum "West China Sea". India's forces and the US Air Force and Navy are still much more powerful and have bigger, better, bases in the Indian Ocean.

Assisted by new Chinese ports/bases in the Indian Ocean, Chinese vessels are becoming a regular presence. Vessels include:

-  Chinese Song and Yuan class SSKs, their submarine tenders and Type 093 SSNs.

-  more obvious surface flotillas, featuring Type 052D destroyers, Type 54A frigates along with their logistical supply ships carrying fuel and dry stores. These mini flotillas operate  under the pretext of anti piracy patrols off the East African coast, while also acting as "cover" for Chinese submarine operations.

Chinese submarines, secretly surveilling the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea (in concert with Pakistani submarines) are much more common than generally known. Type 093s, Songs, Yuans and tenders regularly show up at the Chinese base in Hambantota in Sri Lanka and at Gwadar in Pakistan. Pakistan is becoming more dependent on the future supply of 8 x Yuan export variants from China because Pakistan's return to financial crisis means it cannot afford to repair or upgrade its 5 Agosta subs.

The Red dots mark the locations of emerging ports/bases being developed by China in the Indian Ocean (Map courtesy CIMSEC). 

Further clear indicators that China has major "String of Pearls" economic and strategic aspirations in the Indian Ocean are the emerging Chinese built port facilities in Myanmar and Djibouti in East Africa. 

Island Chain Strategies

Associated with the "String of Pearls" are the Island Chains China wants to be able pass through freely with large military forces (especially naval fleets and SSBNs) to have the type of geo-strategic freedom the US Navy enjoys. The US Island Chain Strategy means power and freedom for the US already. Below is the Island Chain map.

Of the Island Chains the first three are in the Pacific and next two in the Indian Ocean. So:

-  First - runs from the Kurile islands, down through the Japanese Archipelago, Okinawa, very significantly Taiwan, Philippines, then hooks around encompassing most of the South China Sea.

-  Second - Japan, through Guam, down to Western New Guinea (aka Irian Jaya) encompassing much of the Wester Pacific.

-  Third - Aleution islands, Hawaii down to New Zealand. Australia being at the southern base between Second and Third island chains.

-  Fourth - less defined - central Indian Ocean from Gwadar, Pakistan, in the north, through the Diego Garcia presumably to Antarctica, and

-  Fifth - less defined, Gulf of Aden, then south along the East African coast presumably to Antarctica.

Stay tuned for two more articles tomorrow, based on Ghalib Kabir’s (and some of my own) thoughts.