Newsletters

China's Shadow Fleet Is Coming To The Indian Ocean, And India Has No Counter

Swarajya Staff

Feb 11, 2025, 06:39 PM | Updated 06:39 PM IST


India’s response remains sluggish

Indian authorities believe that nearly 600 Chinese fishing vessels have been making their way into the Indian Ocean Region every year.
Indian authorities believe that nearly 600 Chinese fishing vessels have been making their way into the Indian Ocean Region every year.

Dear Reader,

In 2013, when Xi Jinping told Chinese fisherfolk to catch "bigger fish", he wasn’t just talking about seafood.

China’s 'fishing fleet' isn’t just that. It's a covert arm of Beijing’s military ambitions, operating in the Indian Ocean right under India’s nose.

China’s vast distant-water fleet—backed by the state and often doubling as a maritime militia—is swarming the Indian Ocean, gathering intelligence, and asserting dominance.

While Beijing quietly expands its footprint, New Delhi’s response, stuck in policy discussions, remains sluggish and uncoordinated.

My piece on the threat which is no longer so "distant": China's Shadow Fleet Is Coming To The Indian Ocean, And India Has No Counter

- Prakhar Gupta


Get Swarajya in your inbox.


Magazine


image
States