Ya, you kinda' defeat your own argument there. I'm sure the Indian Navy would say that is exactly why India needs a presence in the Pacific. It is why China is rapidly building up it's navy there.
Trade corridors have more than our presence, buddy. The Japanese Navy is the most advanced and powerful navy in Asia.
While they are not provocative, they are strong enough to ensure that trade corridors from their country don't get blocked.
Not to mention a whole host of maritime laws that bind Chinese as much as all others including us and you, do. Harassing Indian trade ships, which ALSO come to Chinese ports for trade and commerce will gain China nothing.
Piracy is a big issue yes, but it is in the long term.
I am not saying that it is NOT completely important.
But we need to establish strong control and ensure IOR remains our, well... how you put it.. 'area of influence' first.
The incompetent jerk who held the top job in our country for the last 10 years and his cabinet of ministers have left our foreign influence in tatters and decimated our military 'force projection' by at least two-thirds, despite many new platforms inducted. One is to make platforms and one is to convey their relevance to 'dissident countries' if you get the idea.
We need to round up our immediate waters before we can head to the Pacific.
In any case, you, us and the Japanese are having trilateral naval exercises already.
