BETWEEN SOFT POWER AND SEA POWER: CHINA’S NAVAL DIPLOMACY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

Abstract

The increasing naval strength of China operating in the Indian Ocean is defining the new geopolitics of the maritime world and provoking a discussion over whether to focus on friendly diplomacy or strategic projection of power.  This paper analyses the role of China, by integrating soft power with sea power in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through the use of naval diplomacy and how this is viewed by the regional states. The primary objective of this study is to examine the Chinese naval diplomacy tools like, port visits, joint exercises, humanitarian operations, anti-piracy operations, and their drivers and consequences in the wider maritime approach. This study is significant as it contributes to understand China behavior towards new maritime culture beyond hard power, particularly in a region that is crucial in global trade and security. This research based on Qualitative design relying on document analysis such as  policy papers, official statements, deployments of the navy, and scholarly literature, followed by the use of a theoretical framework, integrating the soft power and the sea power perspectives. The findings of this study indicate that the purpose of Chinese naval diplomacy is twofold: to present itself as a responsible security actor and pursue long-term strategic and geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean.