Amid growing rivalry between Beijing and New Delhi in the Indian Ocean, China is not likely to overtake India in naval strength in the region in the next two-three decades, despite increasing presence of the Chinese navy and planned new Chinese naval bases, experts told Sputnik.

“I do not foresee an armed conflict in the Indian Ocean in the foreseeable future, until China consolidates its economic and military power in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, China has only one aircraft carrier for training purposes. When China finally builds up its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, perhaps we can see more powerful Chinese forces going into the Indian Ocean. Right now, any Chinese forces sent to the Indian Ocean would be weak. I do not think they try to create a conflict with India,” Ben Ho, a naval analyst with the Military Studies Program at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told Sputnik.

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