India and Singapore naval drill provokes China, alleges Chinese Analyst

Beijing – India had promised to remain neutral in the South China Sea dispute. However, India has reneged on its promise. Chinese analysts have alleged that India is provoking China by conducting naval drill with Singapore navy in South China Sea. Not only this, but Chinese analysts have also claimed that the ‘Freedom Corridor’ which India and Japan are developing jointly is against China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ scheme. The drill code-named ‘SIMBEX’ – Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise between Indian and Singapore navy kicked-off since last Thursday. In this exercise, Indian warships INS-Shivalik, INS-Sahyadri, INS-Jyoti and INS-Karmota along with anti-Submarine warfare aircraft P8-I have participated.

This week long drill will be partaking anti-submarine warfare tactics. As Chinese navy mostly consists of submarines, this drill is aimed at provoking China, claimed a Chinese military expert, Song Zhongping. Hence, India has conducted this drill with Singapore in the South China Sea to create an impacting influence on China, said Zhongping

Three days ago, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying claimed that China has no objection to this drill. She further quoted that till the time such exercises are carried out for the benefit of regional peace and stability and do not hurt the interests of China, China will not oppose them. However, a concern has been expressed over this drill in Song Zhongping’s article published in the Chinese governmental daily ‘Global Times’. India had earlier declare that it would remain neutral without taking anyone’s side on the issue of “South China Sea”

But India has reneged on its promise and this has been clarified by conducting drill with Singapore, claims Song Zhongping in his article. He further claimed that Freedom Corridor which India and Japan is developing to connect Asia-Pacific to Africa is also being built to oppose China’s One Belt One Road plan. Another Chinese analyst Qian Feng, quoted that India is taking advantage of China’s strained relations with ASEAN member nations due to South China Sea dispute. India is trying to prove its supremacy over China by developing good relations with ASEAN countries.

At the same time, drawing attention towards the facts that with the help of Japan, India is developing Iran’s Chabahar, Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee and Dawei port along the Thai-Myanmar border, Qian Feng, has expressed China’s concern in this regard.