Sat Jun 28 14:36:11 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs highlights India’s strategic concerns regarding China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). China’s infrastructure projects, naval expansion, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are viewed as potential threats to India’s security and regional stability. India is actively engaging with partner countries to address these concerns while maintaining its independent relations with nations engaging with China. The report specifically condemns the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for violating India’s sovereignty due to its passage through disputed territories. India emphasizes that militarization of the IOR is undesirable.

**News Article:**

**Indian Parliament Raises Concerns Over China’s Growing Influence in Indian Ocean Region**

**New Delhi – June 28, 2025:** A Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs has released a report expressing serious concerns about China’s increasing presence and activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The report, released earlier this week, identifies China’s infrastructure development, naval expansion, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as strategic challenges for India.

According to the report, China is pursuing dual-use infrastructure projects, including ports and airports, in the IOR, while also deploying research vessels for maritime domain awareness and data collection. This expansion is facilitated by China’s military base in Djibouti and its development of infrastructure along critical maritime choke points.

The committee highlighted China’s engagement with littoral countries in the IOR, including port development near India’s maritime boundary. While acknowledging Sri Lanka’s assurance that its territory will not be used against India’s security, the report emphasizes that India’s relationships with these countries are independent of their ties with China.

India has strongly opposed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the BRI, due to its passage through parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh under Pakistan’s illegal occupation. The government has repeatedly conveyed its concerns to China, urging them to cease such activities.

The report concludes by stating that India views the militarization of the Indian Ocean Region as undesirable and detrimental to the security of the region and the broader Indo-Pacific. India is actively working with partner countries to raise awareness about China’s activities and their potential long-term implications.

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