China's Yuan Wang 7, a ballistic missile tracking vessel, is currently stationed off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, while another tracking vessel, the Yuan Wang 5, is located off the coast of Durban in the South Atlantic Ocean.
China's naval presence is expanding beyond the Indian Ocean and into the Atlantic Ocean, particularly focusing on the west coast of Africa and making incursions into South America. This expansion follows China's consolidation of control in the South China Sea through the assertion of historically unsubstantiated claims.
In an effort to exert “soft power,” China has assigned Mandarin names to 19 sub-surface sea-bed features in the South Indian Ocean. However, its surveillance activities in the Indian Ocean region have increased significantly. From 2018 to May 2023, a total of 73 Chinese research, surveillance, and strategic missile tracking ships have been identified in these waters.
Analyzing available data, in 2018, 10 out of 713 Chinese research vessels were flagged in the Indian Ocean. The numbers increased to 14 out of 826 in 2019, 14 out of 846 in 2020, 16 out of 1003 in 2021, 10 out of 996 in 2022, and as of May 2023, there have been nine research ships out of 575 flagged vessels visiting the region.
Additionally, China continues to maintain the ballistic missile tracker Yuan Wang 7 off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea and Yuan Wang 5 off the coast of Durban in the South Atlantic Ocean. Beijing also maintains a naval base in Djibouti and exerts influence over several East African countries through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The BRI aims to deploy China's excess infrastructure capacities in third world markets through loans and investments, giving China leverage over recipient countries.
China's influence is visible on the west coast of Africa, with numerous seaports being either financed or constructed by Chinese entities. The following is a list of ports in this region that have received Chinese financing and construction:
- Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos, Nigeria
- Tonkolili Ore Project, Pepel port, and Tagrin point port in Pepel, Sierra Leone
- Kribi Container Terminal and Kribi Deep Seaport in Cameroon
- Autonomous Port of Abidjan in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
- Tin-Can Island Port Container Terminal Limited in Tin-Can Island, Lagos, Nigeria
- Lomé Container Terminal in Togo
- Conakry Container Wharf Expansion Project in Conakry, Guinea
- Friendship Port of Nouakchott in Mauritania
- Tema LNG terminal and Takoradi Port in Ghana
- Bakassi deep seaport in Calabar, Nigeria
- Apapa Port in Lagos, Nigeria
- Mindelo deepwater port in Cabo Verde
- Kamsar Fishing Port Economic Zone in Guinea
- Mineral Port in Nouadhibou, Mauritania
- Atuabo Freeport in Ghana
- QE II Quay Expansion Project in Sierra Leone
- Douala Chanel Expansion Project in Cameroon
- Jamestown Fishing Port Complex in Ghana
- Simandou Iron Ore Project in Guinea
While the Quad countries have started investing in infrastructure projects in third countries as a countermeasure against Chinese BRI influence, China remains far ahead of the democratic alliance in terms of project implementation. Once directives are issued by the autocratic Beijing, there is little room for democratic quibbling.
India, in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the US, is working on infrastructure development in the Middle East. In contrast, China utilizes its leverage through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
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