Containing China

It is paradoxical that China is waging a psychological war often reminding India of how weak it is

With reference to “A new Cold War in the Indian Ocean” (December 17), in China’s struggle to rise to its perceived natural place at the “centre of the earth”, its key competitor is not the US but India. Of its neighbours, only India can challenge China as a regional power. In recent years China has shown an undue interest in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The maritime Silk Road scheme is linked to its plans to secure bases for its navy through harbour improvement projects like Gwadar in Pakistan or the Hambantota in Sri Lanka,