China Review News recently published a commentary on China’s ocean strategy. It recommended that, "China’s ocean strategy should be based on two oceans, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean; however, currently, it should focus on the Indian Ocean."
The commentary’s analysis pointed out that Indian Ocean has become the heaviest maritime transportation route. However, the neighboring countries are usually small and have not formed a unified political entity. Thus it is likely that external forces can control them. India, the largest country there, is not able to control the Indian Ocean by itself. This means that China has a chance to execute a huge influence there.
The Indian Ocean is important not only to China’s maritime shipping with European and Asian countries, but it also breaks the U.S. and Japan’s blockade of China over the island chains in the Pacific Ocean. China’s strategy of working in the Indian Ocean includes: taking Pakistan as a strategic base support; targeting Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Burma as strategic entry points; developing land routes over Pakistan and Burma so that China can get to the Indian Ocean; and taking Iran as a new support and developing a comprehensive relationship with Iran – this will enable China to be involved in Middle East affairs and block Russia from accessing the Indian Ocean via Iran.
Source: China Review News, June 20, 2014
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1032/2/6/1/103226148.html