Iakovos Alhadeff: India VS China

The 46 billion dollars that China will invest in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor include the investment for the Chinese naval base in the Pakistani port of Gwadar at the Indian Ocean. The Chinese naval bases in the Indian Ocean will make China a two ocean super power, and will allow her together with her ally Pakistan to encircle

India

on the other hand is trying to respond by encircling China with her defense cooperation with Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, Japan and

South Korea

Map 1 India VS

China

India

also has the advantage that she has not broken her alliance with Russia, her traditional ally since the Soviet era, even though India has greatly improved her relations with the US in order to face

China

as a common rival. Therefore it would be difficult for Russia to intervene in the Chinese-Indian rivalry, while this is not the case for the United States, because China and the United States are confronting each other at the South China Sea.

China

claims most of the South China Sea for herself. The Malacca Straits at the South China Sea are considered as one of the most important energy choke points in the world, since a huge amount of energy and tradable goods pass from it every day.

Map 2 Energy Choke Points