INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: China has established a wide network of global commercial ports in an aggressive bid to exert its economic prowess and broaden
its ever-growing naval presence, according to a recent report.The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) think-tank has released an interactive
China now operates or has ownership in at least one port in every continent across the globe except Antarctica.As of September 2023, China
is involved in as many as 101 port projects, 92 of which are active while the remaining 9 have become inactive due to cancellation or
suspension.Ruling the seas with economic mightThe port expansion bid took off after the launch of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative in
first build ports," Xi Jinping had said, underscoring China's vision to rapidly expand its presence in the seas."Fragile security in South
China Sea..." India's Navy Chief issues stern warning against ChinaThe report said that China has so far signed 70 bilateral and regional
shipping agreements with 66 countries and regions.With that, the country now covers all the major regions worldwide.While China is yet to
emerge as a naval superpower due to limited overseas bases compared to US, it is focusing on becoming a commercial behemoth that wields
largest container ports, the CFR report said, citing data from the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index.But that brings us to the unsettling
question: Will some or any of these ports be used for military purposes?For years, China has been notoriously expanding its military
presence in its own backyard, the South China Sea.A recent report in The New York Times said that Chinese patrol boats have been swarming
ports abroad undoubtedly raises concerns about its potential for extending Beijing's military presence beyond its immediate
territories.According to the report, despite the physical potential for Chinese naval ships to dock in certain ports like Los Angeles or
Piraeus, geopolitical tensions often outweigh practicality.Western governments have often expressed concerns about China's development of
overseas naval bases, yet China's real leverage lies not in building naval bases but in extensive investments and ownership in globally
connected ports, influencing global trade and logistics, the report said.It said that China's real leverage lies in gaining an economic
upperhand at some of the world's most connected port, which underpin the global flow of goods.
