Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena on Monday said that the increasing presence of the Chinese Navy in the oceans was "not a matter of concern" but said that their intentions were "opaque".

"The presence of the Chinese is nothing new. You have the Chinese fishing nets. How did they come," the Vice Admiral, who now serves as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command, told reporters on the eve of the Navy Day celebrations at Shanghumuham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram on December 3.

He also spoke of 2008 when a convoy system was started to escort merchant ships during the worst phase of ocean piracy. The Indian and Chinese navies were coordinating the efforts, he said.

"What is different then and now? Then, it was very transparent," the Vice Admiral said. "I think the world now is lot more complex and volatile. China is an independent and huge country. That they are here should not surprise anybody. The concern now when compared to the earlier days is the lack of transparency," he said.

By lack of transparency, the Vice Admiral was referring to China's under-sea domain activities, the increased presence of its surveillance platforms and also the deployment of submarines. 

The Vice Admiral said that there was no clarity on "whether they are willing to contribute to the collective effort of the security of the global commons." He termed the Chinese intentions "opaque".

On the contrary, Indian intentions are clear. "In the last one year, in response to shipping attacks and rising incidents of piracy in the western Arabian Sea the Indian Navy has deployed 35 ships in the region. Responding to over 30 incidents, it had conducted over 1000 holding operations. And this credible swift action by the Indian Navy has saved more than 520 lives irrespective of their nationalities. This is in consonance with India's commitment to a free open and rule-based maritime order," the Vice Admiral said. 

"I don't think anybody can narrate to me an equivalent contribution by the Chinese," he added. 

Nonetheless, he said the Chinese pose no serious threat. "We have our eyes on them, our continuous eyes on them. And they are operating within our interior lines (meaning, it is easy for Indian Navy to respond to the adversary's moves). I don't call it a threat. We are well aware of it and we will address it. We will ensure that our national maritime interests are not for a moment jeopardised by their presence," the Vice Admiral said. 

Saxena said that India would not allow anyone to "threaten our area of interest". "So if anyone comes through Malacca Strait or Sunda Strait, we have eyes on them. We know where they are. We almost know what they are doing," he said, and added: "We cannot know completely what they are doing, particularly when they are collecting oceanographic data."

The Vice Admiral also pooh-poohed the idea of a Chinese naval attack on India. "China is not in the Indian Ocean. It is in the Pacific Ocean. But if they were to come here, what are the routes? There is the Malacca Strait (the easiest route), there is Lombok Strait, there is Sunda Strait (both roundabout routes). They have to come through many straits. And they should be concerned," the Vice Admiral said, and added: "There is such a thing called Malacca Dilemma, going through a narrow chokepoint like Malacca."  

Malacca Dilemma refers to China's strategic vulnerability as a result of is high dep[ended on Malacca Strait for trade and energy imports. It fears that during a conflict, India could cut off this supply route, choking it.

This is why China is attempting to create an infrastructure network called the "String of Pearls" along its sea lanes in the Indian Ocean. The 'string' spreads from China's mainland to the Horn of Africa, and its 'pearls' include ports like Gwadar in Pakistan and Hambantota in Sri Lanka. 

The Vice Admiral suggested that there was exploitation at the heart of this Chinese strategy. "Whether these ports have any utility for the host country or whether they are debt trap, only time will tell," he said. Her said these projects were "inflicted" upon countries because the Chinese have a surplus infrastructure development capacity.

He hinted that the 'String of Pearls' has just the 'barking dog' effect. "To a young man in a romantic relationship, I always recommend a string of pearls. Because you can buy pears for 2000 rupees and two lakh rupees and they look almost the same," he said.

The Vice Admiral was in Thiruvananthapuram for the Navy Day celebrations on December 3. The day commemorates Operation Trident, the daring attack on Karachi harbour by Indian missile boats on December 4, 1971. 

Navy Day at Shanghumughom Beach
To mark the day, the Indian Navy will demonstrate its formidable combat power and capability through an Operational Demonstration at Shanghumugham Beach, Thriuvananthapuram on December 3. President Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest at the event. 

"This mega event will provide a unique opportunity to the citizens to witness the Navy's state of the art platforms and multi domain operations reflecting the Navy's preparedness and ability to deliver power and precision across the maritime spectrum," Vice Admiral Saxena said.

In the last few years, Indian Navy has been organising the Navy Day at a location other than major naval stations. Previously it was held at Puri in Odisha in 2024 and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra in 2023.