China Name Indian Ocean: China has once again indicated its expansionist intentions. Earlier, China had changed the names of 11 places related to Arunachal Pradesh in its map, now it has changed the names of 19 seabeds located in the depths of the Southern Indian Ocean. Chinese media called it Beijing "soft power" called projection. This blunder of Xi Jinping is also being seen as his increasing interference in the Indian Ocean.
Not only this, China had earlier objected to the word ‘Indian Ocean’ and said that the Indian Ocean is not India’s ocean. Of the 19 designated seabed features in the Indian Ocean, 6 are off the coast of Oman. 4 features are off the coast of Madagascar, eight are on the southwest ridge of the Indian Ocean and one is before the deep Indian Ocean towards Antarctica. Earlier in the year 2020 Yogu Seamount and Yugu Hill were proposed.
The meaning of the name change in the Indian Ocean
In the year 2020 itself, the name of another Houxian Seamount was proposed by COMRA. After this a place named Sanboa Hill was proposed and in the year 2018 COMRA made another proposal named Tenlong Seamount. The renaming of geographical entities in Arunachal Pradesh is to show that the region is disputed by Beijing as Zhangnan or South Tibet, according to former Indian foreign secretary.
On the other hand naming facilities in the Indian Ocean is projecting governance in the Indo-Pacific. Indian officials said these developments have been noted with concern and the Middle Kingdom’s imperialist mindset is expected to respond soon.
Read also: