Indian Navy a big challenge for China?

CHENNAI: Though China has been engaged in developing three ports at Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan thus encircling India, the weak area for the country today is the Indian Navy, Naval Chief of Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, said here on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters here at a function held at Chennai Port on Thursday, the Admiral said, “The Chinese efforts and help to Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Myanmar to build ports in their countries were a part of its strategy to get a foothold in the ocean, but one has to understand the fact that it is not so easy for them (China) to come inside the Indian Ocean where our navy has better presence.” On a question about India being encircled by Chinese-sponsored ports in its Asian neighbourhood, Mehta said that Beijing was building such dependency ports as part of its strategy to have a strong footing in the ocean in future. While reacting to his reported statement on China-India comparison a few days ago, Mehta said, “During the intellectual discussion a few days ago, I spoke about several national security issues there but the media picked my China-related statement only.” Strongly discounting the number game with China, Admiral Mehta said, “It’s not that you have 50 ships, I have 50 ships. I may have 10 ships which are much smarter and better and let us do that.” To a query on the recent detention of North Korean cargo ship MV Musan near Hutbay in South Andaman, Mehta said that no full details were available at this point of time. “But with North Korea, we have to be doubly sure. But prima facie, it looks like the ship got some genuine cargo which was destined for Iraq,” he said. However, he added that the ship was being towed to Kakinada Port and different agencies would investigate the matter there