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China's String of Pearls Strategy: Asserting Maritime Dominance in the Indian Ocean

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 1 - 19, 03.05.2025

Habib Badawi

https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1527457

Abstract

China's implementation of the “String of Pearls” strategy in the Indian Ocean Region has generated significant attention from regional powers and the United States. This paper examines China's establishment of naval facilities in key nations along the Indian Ocean rim, focusing on developments in Cambodia and Bangladesh. Through analysis of primary and secondary sources, including government reports and scholarly literature, the study investigates how Beijing aims to secure maritime trade routes, expand naval capabilities, and address vulnerabilities at strategic chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca. The research emphasizes developments at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base and Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina Naval Base, which exemplify China's challenge to U.S. regional strategy while intensifying India's security concerns. The findings demonstrate China's systematic effort to enhance naval capabilities and extend influence across the Indo-Pacific, with significant implications for regional maritime security.

Keywords

China String of Pearls Strategy Indian Ocean Region Naval Facilities Maritime Security Power Projection Indo-Pacific Geopolitical Dynamics.

References

  • Aggarwal, S. (2012). China's naval strategy: Strategic evolution and emerging concepts of warfare. CAPS India. https://capsindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Shikha-Aggarwal.pdf
  • Ashley J. Tellis. (2012). Uphill Challenges: China's Military Modernization and Asian Security. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/files/SA12_Overview.pdf
  • Ashraf, Junaid. (2017). String of Pearls and China's Emerging Strategic Culture. 37 (4). 166-181. 10.53532/ss.037.04.00204.
  • Badawi, H. (2024). Chinese Geoeconomics and Geostrategic Motives in a Changing International Order. International Journal of Politics and Security. https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1401481
  • Baruah, D. M., Labh, N., & Greely, J. (2023, June 15). Mapping the Indian Ocean region. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/06/15/mapping-indian-ocean-region-pub-89971
  • Brewster, David. (2014). Beyond the 'String of Pearls': is there really a Sino-Indian security dilemma in the Indian Ocean? Journal of the Indian Ocean Region. 10. 133-149. 10.1080/19480881.2014.922350.
  • Butt, K. M., & Siddiqui, S. J. (2021). Growing Chinese Presence in the Indian Ocean: Prospects and Challenges. Strategic Studies, 41(2), 64–81. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48732275
  • Chen Heang. (2021, April 7). Would access to Cambodia's ream naval base really benefit China? The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/would-access-to-cambodias-ream-naval-base-really-benefit-china/
  • Chen, Wei. “The String of Pearls: Concept, Reality, and Strategic Implications,” Asian Security Studies 15, no. 3 (2024): 278-295. Christian Wirth. (2020). South China Sea “Lawfare”: Fighting over the freedom of navigation. GIGA. https://www.giga-hamburg.de/en/publications/giga-focus/south-china-sea-lawfare-fighting-over-the-freedom-of-navigation
  • Cimmino, J. (2024, February 9). A strategy to counter malign Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/atlantic-council-strategy-paper-series/a-strategy-to-counter-malign-chinese-and-russian-influence-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/
  • Cohen, Saul Bernard. “Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations.” Asian Security Studies 16, no. 1 (2024): 45-67.
  • Funaiole, M. P., Hart, B., Powers-Riggs, A., & Jun, J. (2023, November 17). Submarine diplomacy: A snapshot of China's influence along the Bay of Bengal. CSIS. https://features.csis.org/snapshots/china-submarine-diplomacy/
  • Hai Loc, Tran My. (2023). India's Security Threats from Chinese Military Funding and Economic Development in South Asia. Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional, 25(2), 115–139. https://doi.org/10.7454/global.v25i2.1289
  • Lanteigne, Marc. (2008). China's Maritime Security and the “Malacca Dilemma.” Asian Security. 4. 143-161. 10.1080/14799850802006555
  • Le Mière, Christian. “Maritime Diplomacy in the 21st Century: Drivers and Challenges.” Naval War College Review 77, no. 2 (2024): 23-45.
  • Lintner, B. (2022, February 24). China's submarine diplomacy reaching deep and wide. Asia Times. https://asiatimes.com/2022/02/chinas-submarine-diplomacy-reaching-deep-and-wide/
  • Mahan, Alfred Thayer. “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783.” Naval Institute Press Classics of Sea Power Series, 2019 edition.
  • Mearsheimer, John J. “The Tragedy of Great Power Politics.” International Security 26, no. 1 (2023): 136-193.
  • Mohit Choudhary. (2020, June 8). China's Malacca bluff: Examining China's Indian Ocean strategy and future security Architecture. Air University (AU). https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/3285715/chinas-malacca-bluff-examining-chinas-indian-ocean-strategy-and-future-security/
  • Morton, K. (2016). China's ambition in the South China Sea: is a legitimate maritime order possible? International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), 92(4), 909–940. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24757682
  • Pharis, W. D. (2009). China's pursuit of a blue-water navy. https://doi.org/10.21236/ada510462
  • Ram Madhav. (2017, September 2). Indian Ocean nations raised concerns over 'freedom of navigation' on China Sea. Business Standard . https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/indian-ocean-nations-raised-concerns-over-freedom-of-navigation-on-china-sea-ram-madhav-117090200101_1.html
  • Ramadhani, E. (2015). China in the Indian Ocean Region: The Confined “Fat-Seas Operations.” India Quarterly, 71(2), 146–159. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45072769
  • Scott Romaniuk & Amparo Fabe & Christian Kaunert. (2023, August 24). China's maritime expansion: An emerging security dilemma? Geopolitical Monitor. https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/chinas-maritime-expansion-an-emerging-security-dilemma/
  • Shoukat, Saba & Ashraf, Iqra & Ali, Hina & Ali, Muhammad. (2021). China's Increasing Investments and Relationships with Sea Line Countries of Indian Ocean: A Geopolitical Strategy. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 9. 10.52131/pjhss.2021.0903.0160.
  • Swaine, M. D. (2015, July 23). America's security role in the South China Sea. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2015/07/23/america-s-security-role-in-south-china-sea-pub-60826
  • Till, Geoffrey. “Seapower: A Guide for the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Strategic Studies 42, no. 3 (2024): 299-324.
  • Timothy Heath. (2019, August 9). The Ramifications of China's Reported Naval Base in Cambodia. RAND. https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2019/08/the-ramifications-of-chinas-reported-naval-base-in.html
  • Upadhyaya, Shishir. (2017). Expansion of Chinese maritime power in the Indian Ocean: implications for India. Defence Studies. 17. 1-21. 10.1080/14702436.2016.1271720.
  • Williams, Thomas R. “Blue Water Ambitions: China's Naval Modernization and Its Strategic Implications,” Naval War College Review 76, no. 1 (2023): 45-67.
  • Zhang, L. and R. Smith. “Economic Drivers of China's Indian Ocean Strategy,” Journal of Strategic Studies 45, no. 2 (2024): 156-174.

China's String of Pearls Strategy: Asserting Maritime Dominance in the Indian Ocean

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 1 - 19, 03.05.2025

Habib Badawi

https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1527457

Abstract

China's implementation of the “String of Pearls” strategy in the Indian Ocean Region has generated significant attention from regional powers and the United States. This paper examines China's establishment of naval facilities in key nations along the Indian Ocean rim, focusing on developments in Cambodia and Bangladesh. Through analysis of primary and secondary sources, including government reports and scholarly literature, the study investigates how Beijing aims to secure maritime trade routes, expand naval capabilities, and address vulnerabilities at strategic chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca. The research emphasizes developments at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base and Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina Naval Base, which exemplify China's challenge to U.S. regional strategy while intensifying India's security concerns. The findings demonstrate China's systematic effort to enhance naval capabilities and extend influence across the Indo-Pacific, with significant implications for regional maritime security.

Keywords

China String of Pearls Strategy Indian Ocean Region Naval Facilities Maritime Security Power Projection Indo-Pacific Geopolitical Dynamics.

References

  • Aggarwal, S. (2012). China's naval strategy: Strategic evolution and emerging concepts of warfare. CAPS India. https://capsindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Shikha-Aggarwal.pdf
  • Ashley J. Tellis. (2012). Uphill Challenges: China's Military Modernization and Asian Security. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/files/SA12_Overview.pdf
  • Ashraf, Junaid. (2017). String of Pearls and China's Emerging Strategic Culture. 37 (4). 166-181. 10.53532/ss.037.04.00204.
  • Badawi, H. (2024). Chinese Geoeconomics and Geostrategic Motives in a Changing International Order. International Journal of Politics and Security. https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1401481
  • Baruah, D. M., Labh, N., & Greely, J. (2023, June 15). Mapping the Indian Ocean region. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/06/15/mapping-indian-ocean-region-pub-89971
  • Brewster, David. (2014). Beyond the 'String of Pearls': is there really a Sino-Indian security dilemma in the Indian Ocean? Journal of the Indian Ocean Region. 10. 133-149. 10.1080/19480881.2014.922350.
  • Butt, K. M., & Siddiqui, S. J. (2021). Growing Chinese Presence in the Indian Ocean: Prospects and Challenges. Strategic Studies, 41(2), 64–81. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48732275
  • Chen Heang. (2021, April 7). Would access to Cambodia's ream naval base really benefit China? The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/would-access-to-cambodias-ream-naval-base-really-benefit-china/
  • Chen, Wei. “The String of Pearls: Concept, Reality, and Strategic Implications,” Asian Security Studies 15, no. 3 (2024): 278-295. Christian Wirth. (2020). South China Sea “Lawfare”: Fighting over the freedom of navigation. GIGA. https://www.giga-hamburg.de/en/publications/giga-focus/south-china-sea-lawfare-fighting-over-the-freedom-of-navigation
  • Cimmino, J. (2024, February 9). A strategy to counter malign Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/atlantic-council-strategy-paper-series/a-strategy-to-counter-malign-chinese-and-russian-influence-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/
  • Cohen, Saul Bernard. “Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations.” Asian Security Studies 16, no. 1 (2024): 45-67.
  • Funaiole, M. P., Hart, B., Powers-Riggs, A., & Jun, J. (2023, November 17). Submarine diplomacy: A snapshot of China's influence along the Bay of Bengal. CSIS. https://features.csis.org/snapshots/china-submarine-diplomacy/
  • Hai Loc, Tran My. (2023). India's Security Threats from Chinese Military Funding and Economic Development in South Asia. Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional, 25(2), 115–139. https://doi.org/10.7454/global.v25i2.1289
  • Lanteigne, Marc. (2008). China's Maritime Security and the “Malacca Dilemma.” Asian Security. 4. 143-161. 10.1080/14799850802006555
  • Le Mière, Christian. “Maritime Diplomacy in the 21st Century: Drivers and Challenges.” Naval War College Review 77, no. 2 (2024): 23-45.
  • Lintner, B. (2022, February 24). China's submarine diplomacy reaching deep and wide. Asia Times. https://asiatimes.com/2022/02/chinas-submarine-diplomacy-reaching-deep-and-wide/
  • Mahan, Alfred Thayer. “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783.” Naval Institute Press Classics of Sea Power Series, 2019 edition.
  • Mearsheimer, John J. “The Tragedy of Great Power Politics.” International Security 26, no. 1 (2023): 136-193.
  • Mohit Choudhary. (2020, June 8). China's Malacca bluff: Examining China's Indian Ocean strategy and future security Architecture. Air University (AU). https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/3285715/chinas-malacca-bluff-examining-chinas-indian-ocean-strategy-and-future-security/
  • Morton, K. (2016). China's ambition in the South China Sea: is a legitimate maritime order possible? International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), 92(4), 909–940. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24757682
  • Pharis, W. D. (2009). China's pursuit of a blue-water navy. https://doi.org/10.21236/ada510462
  • Ram Madhav. (2017, September 2). Indian Ocean nations raised concerns over 'freedom of navigation' on China Sea. Business Standard . https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/indian-ocean-nations-raised-concerns-over-freedom-of-navigation-on-china-sea-ram-madhav-117090200101_1.html
  • Ramadhani, E. (2015). China in the Indian Ocean Region: The Confined “Fat-Seas Operations.” India Quarterly, 71(2), 146–159. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45072769
  • Scott Romaniuk & Amparo Fabe & Christian Kaunert. (2023, August 24). China's maritime expansion: An emerging security dilemma? Geopolitical Monitor. https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/chinas-maritime-expansion-an-emerging-security-dilemma/
  • Shoukat, Saba & Ashraf, Iqra & Ali, Hina & Ali, Muhammad. (2021). China's Increasing Investments and Relationships with Sea Line Countries of Indian Ocean: A Geopolitical Strategy. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 9. 10.52131/pjhss.2021.0903.0160.
  • Swaine, M. D. (2015, July 23). America's security role in the South China Sea. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2015/07/23/america-s-security-role-in-south-china-sea-pub-60826
  • Till, Geoffrey. “Seapower: A Guide for the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Strategic Studies 42, no. 3 (2024): 299-324.
  • Timothy Heath. (2019, August 9). The Ramifications of China's Reported Naval Base in Cambodia. RAND. https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2019/08/the-ramifications-of-chinas-reported-naval-base-in.html
  • Upadhyaya, Shishir. (2017). Expansion of Chinese maritime power in the Indian Ocean: implications for India. Defence Studies. 17. 1-21. 10.1080/14702436.2016.1271720.
  • Williams, Thomas R. “Blue Water Ambitions: China's Naval Modernization and Its Strategic Implications,” Naval War College Review 76, no. 1 (2023): 45-67.
  • Zhang, L. and R. Smith. “Economic Drivers of China's Indian Ocean Strategy,” Journal of Strategic Studies 45, no. 2 (2024): 156-174.
There are 31 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects International Security
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Habib Badawi 0000-0002-6452-8379

Early Pub Date April 29, 2025
Publication Date May 3, 2025
Submission Date August 3, 2024
Acceptance Date February 21, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 7 Issue: 1

Cite

Chicago Badawi, Habib. “China’s String of Pearls Strategy: Asserting Maritime Dominance in the Indian Ocean”. International Journal of Politics and Security 7, no. 1 (May 2025): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.53451/ijps.1527457.
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