India, US agree: Chinese navy needs to be engaged

‘‘We’re interested in increasing transparency with the PLA Navy. Its increasing capability is at a rate commensurate with the country’s economic growth. We seek to know their intent. By engaging them, we hope to gain some insight into that,’’ Admiral Roughead said this morning.

On December 2 last year, expressing similar sentiments, Admiral Prakash had said, ‘‘We wonder what their long-term intentions are, but we are not at all averse to better relations with the PLA’’. The Pentagon’s offer for Indian liaison officers to be posted at the US Pacific Command in Hawaii, still hanging fire at South Block, would have much to do with the sharing of operational information and warship movements in the IOR.

Next month, Chinese military observers will for the first time visit Guam in the Pacific to witness a US Navy-Air Force exercise Valiant Shield, involving three American aircraft carriers and a large complement of fighters. ‘‘We believe that since we’re being transparent, they would do likewise,’’ the Admiral said.

The US Quadrennial Defence Review, in fact, recommends one more aircraft carrier for the US Pacific fleet, more submarines and an enhanced anti-submarine and anti-ballistic missile capability, implicitly predicated on Beijing’s own expeditious arsenal build-up and movement.

‘‘The way we seek transparency needs to be done in a way that is appropriate and in a way that the country is comfortable with,’’ Admiral Roughead said. Discussions yesterday stretched from maritime domain awareness to security in the Malacca Strait.

Incidentally, the Navy also briefed the US Admiral on the situation in Sri Lanka. He later said, ‘‘It is clear to me that the Indian Navy wants things cooled down.’’