SINO-INDIAN GEOSTRATEGIC COMPETITION FOR CONTROLLING THE BLUE ECONOMY OF IRANIAN PORTS AND ITS IMPACTS ON PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55733/jpcs.v4i1.66Abstract
In the modern world, trade is one of the key tools used to strengthen the economy and lay the foundation for a country to achieve regional or global hegemony. It is widely acknowledged that, now maritime security has surfaced as a bone of contention between India and China which are competing with one another in the region to seek safe and cheap routes to meet their energy needs. India is leveraging its strategically important location as well as the support of the US to balance China's influence, while China is adopting its "string of pearls" strategy to connect the important choke points of the world. Therefore, this article analyzes the interests of China and India in Iranian ports, particularly in Chabahar Port, and their efforts to secure access to the region's resources and markets. It also evaluates that the Sino-Indian competition for controlling Iran's ports could have significant implications for Pakistan, including economic opportunities and challenges, geopolitical risks, and strategic choices. Moreover, this paper intends to unfold the competition through the lens of a realist approach and unwind the ground realities by using a spectrum of qualitative research methodology.
Keywords: Sino-Indian, maritime security, Pakistan, Iranian Ports, Chabahar,
References
Afzal, M. (2020). At all costs: How Pakistan and China control the narrative on the China-Pakistan economic corridor. The Brookings Institution Report, 4(2), 1–10.
Bayramli, N. (2023, February 16). Iran, China Sign 20 Cooperation Documents. Caspian News.
Boltuc, S. (2022). Chinese interests in Iranian ports. https://www.specialeurasia.com/2022/01/27/china-iran-port/
Bureau, A. (2022, December 23). India’s Chabahar investment counters China’s Gwadar port in Pakistan. Greek City Times. https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/12/23/india-chabahar-investment/
Çelik, Y. (2022). An Overview of China-Iran Relations and its Impact on Central Asia. Asya Araştırmaları Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 6(1), 103–114.
Chauhan, N. (2022). India – Central Asia: Why is the region important for India? The Financial Express. https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-india-central-asia-why-is-the-region-important-for-india-2413179/
Dawn. (2020, July 15). Iran drops India from key Chabahar project. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/1569090/iran-drops-india-from-key-chabahar-project
Diez, J. (2023). Iran-China Visit and Growing Economic Engagement. Middle East Policy Council. https://mepc.org/commentary/iran-china-visit-and-growing-economic-engagement
Gul, S., Jaleel, S., & Asgher, M. F. (2020). SWOT Analysis of Gwadar and Chabahar Port. Global Social Sciences Review, 1, 651–659.
HAIDAR, S. (2020, July 14). Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project, cites funding delay. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/iran-drops-india-from-chabahar-rail-project-cites-funding-delay/article32072428.ece
ISW. (2020). Pakistan and Afghanistan. Institute of the Study of War. https://www.understandingwar.org/pakistan-and-afghanistan
Kaura, V. (2017). India’s Aims in Central Asia and India-Afghanistan-Iran Triangular Relationship. The Journal of Central Asian Studies, 24(1), 23–41.
Khan, Z. A. (2012). China’s Gwadar and India’s Chahbahar. Strategic Studies, 32, 79–101.
Kharl, S., Butt, K. M., & Abbas, K. (2020). String of Pearls: Politics of Ports in Indian Ocean. A Research Journal of South Asian Studies, 35(1), 73–86. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344608504
Leila, A. S. el-D., & Abdullah, M. S. (2021). The economic and strategic significance of Iranian ports: Jask port as a case study. Journal for Iranian Studies, 13, 49–66.
Levina. (2022). Checkmating Chinese BRI Through INSTC. Chanakya Forum. https://chanakyaforum.com/checkmating-chinese-bri-through-instc/
Mamaghani, S. H. B., & Asadikhomami, A. (2021). China and Chabahar; Opportunities and Challenges of the Cooperation of Iran and China in the Indian Ocean. Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies, 5(4), 803–832.
Menon, S. (2020). India’s foreign affairs strategy.
Muhammad Javed Iqbal, K., & Bilal Haider, B. (2020). Geo-political and Geo-economic Dynamics of the Region in Developing the Sea-based Economy of the IOR Countries. Polaris – Journal of Maritime Research, 2(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.53963/pjmr.2020.002.2
Rahim, N., & Ali, A. (2018). The Sino-Indian Geo-Strategic Rivalry: A Comparative Study of Gwadar and Chabahar Ports. Dialogue (Pakistan), 13(1).
Rowden, R. (2020, December). India’s Strategic Interests in Central Asia and Afghanistan Go Through Iran. NewLines Institute. https://newlinesinstitute.org/iran/indias-strategic-interests-in-central-asia-and-afghanistan-go-through-iran/
S, S. V. (2020, August 26). The Iran-China Deal: Implications for India. South Asian Voices. https://southasianvoices.org/indias-stake-in-the-iran-china-deal/
Salem, S. (2016). New Opening to The Old Gateway : Chabahar Seaport and The Economic and Strategic Benefits to The Region. Jindal Journal of International Affairs,4(01), 119–132. https://jjia.jsia.edu.in/index.php/jjia/article/view/95
ShippingNews. (2021). Iran-China partnership to raise Chabahar port’s global status. Hellenic Shipping News. https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/iran-china-partnership-to-raise-chabahar-ports-global-status/
Soroush Aliasgary ; Marin Ekstrom. (2021, October 21). Chabahar Port and Iran’s Strategic Balancing With China and India. The Diplomate. https://thediplomat.com/2021/10/chabahar-port-and-irans-strategic-balancing-with-china-and-india/
TehranTimes. (2023). China launches direct shipping line to Iran’s Chabahar port. Www.Tehrantimes.Com. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/480298/China-launches-direct-shipping-line-to-Iran-s-Chabahar-port
The Indian Express. (2017). Iran‟ 's Chabahar Port Opens, Allows India To Bypass Pakistan on Trade Route To Afghanistan. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/irans-chabahar-port-opens-allows-india-to-bypass-pakistan-on-trade-route-to-afghanistan-4966219/
The Economic Times. (2017). Pakistan’s Gwadar port was leased to a Chinese company for 40 years. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/pakistans-gwadar-port-leased-to-chinese-company-for-40-years/articleshow/58284735
Vashisht, N. (2017). Want to integrate Bharatmala and Sagarmala: Gadkari. Money Control. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/want-to-integrate-bharatmala-and-sagarmala-gadkari-2419599.html
Zaheer, M. A. (2023, January 25). The strategic vista of Chabahar Port. Pakistan Observer. https://pakobserver.net/the-strategic-vista-of-chabahar-port-by-dr-muhammad-akram-zaheer/
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Pakistan-China Studies (JPCS)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
