India has opened a new naval base called INS Baaz in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to monitor the critical Strait of Malacca maritime route and counter China's growing influence in the region. The base will improve India's ability to monitor shipping traffic through the strait. There is also increasing competition between India and China for influence over Myanmar, as access through Myanmar could provide naval access to the strategic Strait of Malacca. Both countries are pursuing closer economic and military ties with Myanmar. In the South China Sea, India is exploring for oil with Vietnam despite Chinese objections, as Vietnam welcomes partnerships to balance China's growing power in the area.

1.  India in Strait of Malacca.
 India in South China Sea.

2. India in Strait of Malacca
 Importance of Malacca.
• It a maritime route.
• 60,000 ships pass through this route.
• It is in b/w Malaysia and Indonesia.

3. India Naval Station (Baaz)
 India has opened a key naval station, named INS
BAAZ (HAWK) in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
 India commissions INS Baaz to counter China's
moves in Indian Ocean.

5.  It will keep an eagle eye watch on critical maritime
choke points(Strait of Malacca).
 Baaz will improve India's capacity to monitor
security of waters running into the Malacca Strait.
 This area is near to Indonesia, India will gain
strategic supremacy in the area
 The new base also includes an upgraded air base,
will soon be operating heavier military planes from
the Indian Air Force
 Besides facilitating India's monitoring of maritime
and other vessels in the region, Baaz will guard
against piracy.
 Indian military will be in a good position for
operations if maritime activities in the region are
threatened.

6. India and china competing for
Malacca in Burma
 There is a new great game under way b/w India
and China.
 The coast line of Burma provides naval access to
the world’s most strategic water passages, The
strait of Malacca.
 Burma has great importance and both countries
are trying to make deals with Burma. A kind of
competition is going b/w India and China.

7.  Beijing has stepped up its engagement in Burma.
China is also Burma’s most important defense
alley.
 China has also built an 85 m jetty, naval facility on
the great Coco Island, located near to India’s
Andaman and Nicobar Island.
 This gives China an opportunity to monitor India’s
military activities in Andaman and Nicobar Island.
 India is afraid of China’s influence in Burma.

8.  Coco island which is very near to India’s
Andaman Islands. It gives an advantage to China
over India.

9.  Burma is exploring oil and gas and it is important
for both countries to make deals with Burma in
order to fulfil their energy resources including oil
and gas.
 From a perceived China fear, India has been
building up its military strength. India has been
pursuing the closer relations with the US,
something that worries China.

10. India in South China Sea
 While the world is focusing on rising tension
between China and Claimants in the SCS, Beijing
and Delhi are also engaged in a quiet struggle in
SCS.
 China don’t want India to participate in SCS but
India is participating and Vietnam is welcoming
Indian in this region.
 India signed an agreement with Vietnam in Oct
2011 for the exploration of oil in SCS and has
excepted the challenge from China.

11.  Vietnam Foreign minister addressed a press
conference, he said that the countries bordering
the SCS have rights to the Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ) and India can pursue “exploration and
exploitation work in the exclusive economic zone of
Vietnam.
 Vietnam welcomes the other states in this region
because Vietnam can’t tackle China in this region.
 Indian state owned oil company ONGC Videsh
limited (OVC) is working to explore oil and gas in
Block 127 & 128.
 China’s warning to India to stay away from this
region. China said that China’s permission is must
for exploration in Blocks 127 & 128 and ONGC
Videsh Limited activities would be considering
illegal.

12. India working in Block 127 and 128 with the permission of Vietnam. China has concern
on this development.

13.  In 2012 Indian’s junior oil minister RPN Singh told
the parliament that OVC had decided to return from
Block 128 and stop exploration.
 Hanoi publicly suggested that Delhi decision was a
response to pressure from China.
 After this India decided to continue the joint
exploration, Vietnam decided to extend OVL
contracts in Block 128.
 China has decided to establish a military garrison
on Woddy Island in Paracel in attempt to assert
claims over the region.
 Chinese naval and air patrols are ready to protect
their maritime rights and interests in SCS.

14. India-Vietnam pact to expand oil exploration
in South China Sea
Wednesday, Nov 20, 2013,
Nguyen Phu Trong, General
Secretary of the Vietnamese
Communist Party,
Indian PM Manmohan
Singh