Major project launched to address India-China maritime issues

MELBOURNE: A major research project focusing on India-China maritime security in the startegically vital Indian and Pacific Oceans has been launched here by a think tank.

The project launched by Australia India Institute ( AII) here will explore how the two fastest growing nations interact as major naval powers in both the oceans.

The 18-months project has been funded by a grant from the US-based John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation.

"The Institute is very pleased to have received this grant from the prestigious MacArthur Foundation," the inaugural director of AII Amitabh Mattoo said.

"The project will further extend Australia-India Institute's role as one of Australia's leading centres of expertise on India and China's role in Indo-Pacific security," he added.

The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. An estimated 40 per cent of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean.

The research project will host workshops with key policy-makers, and experts in India, China, Australia, Southeast Asia and the United States.

Issues would include the economic competition between two nations that affects maritime security in the region. It will also look into Australia, US and others interest in Sino-Indian relationship, Mattoo said.

The project team will be lead by David Brewster, a Fellow of the Institute and a leading expert in regional security.