An Analysis Of The Indian Sea Strategy At The Beginning Of The 21st Century

In the 21st century, the sea will become the second living space of the human being. According to the logic of the modern geopolitics, which is"Who can control resource, who can control the match, and who can control the world", the national development depends more greatly on the resource, and great countries pay more attention to it. The area with rich natural resource and geopolitic strategy, such as Indian Ocean, gains the people's intrest. Indian Ocean connects the world resource storehouse. There is south China sea with rich resource in the east, and on the northweast corner, there is Persian Gulf and the Middle East; The Aden bay, Arabian Peninsula and African continent with rich resource are in the west , meanwhlie, it is near Antarctica in the south. Because of the resource around Indian Ocean, many "petroleum routes" and " trade channels" on the Indian Ocean are "lifelines", which many countries rely upon. India is the core of the South Asia and the Indian Ocean area, and the Indian Peninsula goes down to Indian Ocean about 1,600 kilometers, so India holds the extremely important status in the global strategy pattern. To India's development, it has unequalled geopolitic superiority.However, because of economic potentiality and land security, India didn't transform its geopolitic superiority into the realistic resource. With the international situation changing and the marine resource value stepping up, India makes full use of its geopolitic superiority, and develops its sea power. Its sea strategy is also ceaselessly evolving, but the goal with "becoming the world country" has not certainly been changed. In process, although India has met much resistance, it has gotten favourable results, and it has become the strongest maritime power aroud the Indian Ocean, and its naval power is the seventh in the world.India takes the sea power and the realism as its strategy rationale. With the economic development and the strength enhancement, the scope of the Indian sea strategy is also being expanded, and it has the characteristic feature of expansion.But in the times with cooperation and common profits, Indian action easily causes vigilance from the peripheral counties, and the pressure from the formidable matches. The most sensitive part of the Indian sea strategy is the military and the geopolitics. The process of the Indian sea strategy decides on the relationship between India and the countries with opposite strategic benefits.Whatever measures India takes, it must expand its sea strategy space, and also does not cause the vigilance and pressure form formidable matches. When India carries out its sea strategy, it must consider this question. India relies on its geopolitic superiority, making full use of politics, military and diplomacy, and positively expands its strategic space, and ceaselessly develops its interests on the sea.First, India uses its ability of the sea research to use the sea resource. On the one hand, it can provide material safeguard and technical support for the sea strategy development; On the other hand, by this means,such as economic cooperation,technical assistance, India can get much information to extend its navy influence.Second, India is the strongest country around the Indian Ocean. It often regards itself as the leader of the South Asia area. India tries to control the other smaller counties by its sea strategy. But India actually isn't able to change the fact that other counties from other area act in the Indian Ocean area, so India adopts deterrent strategy to avoid other counties interfering in its regional hegemony.Third, it is the most essential for India to deal with the great counties, particularly the United States. If India wants to carry out its sea strategy, and go out of the South Asia area, and become the world country, it needs the good relationship with the great countries.The Indian sea strategy is an important part of its national strategy. Because of India's geographical position, Indian sea strategy conforms to India's national condition, and it is carried out to strengthen Indian power and expand its influence. So long as India does not get absolute security by sacrificing other countries'basic interests, we do not have the reason to oppose India to develop its marine benefits. As other strategies, the Indian sea strategy carried out will certainly cause a series of responses,and we need make the dialectical analysis of it.First, for India, it is a strategic choice that advantages and disadvantages coexist, it may not only promote the Indian economic development, and expand Indian political influence, but also safeguard Indian marine security. But India is a developing country after all. In order to enhance the marine power, India has enlarged the military expenses, which increases the economic burden. At the same time, India is the country with sea and land, and its land frontier is certainly unsafe. Under this situation, it is very easy for India to fall into a dilemma that it can't protect the security of sea and land together.Second, for the local security, it is favourable to improve the peace and stability of South Asia aera. In order to carry out its sea strategy, India takes some measures to improve national relation with peripheral countries. At the same time, the Indian navy also playes the certain role in attacking the non- traditional security, such as smuggling, the marine terrorism. But it is difficult for India to get rid of the thought and the behavior that it is the leader in the South Asia area, which causes the South Asia countries unsatisfed with India. It is very easy to cause arms race, and more counties to involve. As a result, this local situation is intricate, and the unstable factors increase.Third, for the international pattern, it is also the fact that the positive factors and the negative factors coexist. It is favourable to develop multipolarization, but in process, India may meet many restrictions, particularly from the international system and the mechanism and other great countries. Whatever measures India takes, such as compromising, submitming, or challenge, it will cause significant influence on the international pattern.It is a dream of Indian several generations to become the great country in the world. It is also the starting point and the ultimate objective of Indian sea strategy. At the beginning of the 21st century, India will continue its strategy that is "to stand on the South Asia, control Indian Ocean, and struggle for the world country". From its history, India had the will and the strength to use military force to deal with the questions about national security and interests, but in the times with peace and common profits, India mainly depends on diplomatism and peace way to carry out its sea strategy, which reduces resistance and expands India's influence. By this means, India will win the time and the space to develop its sea strategy.