No increase in Chinese activity near Indian waters: Navy Chief

There has been no increase in Chinese naval activity near Indian waters even after the deployment of advanced nuclear submarines at the Hainan base in the South China Sea, which is the nearest Chinese naval base to India, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma has said.

Answering queries at a press conference in the run-up to Navy Day, Admiral Verma said while China launched an anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden, there have not been other “major deployments as far as our area is concerned”.

The Admiral’s assurance comes even as reports continue to point at a major modernisation and expansion drive in the Chinese Navy with the induction of new submarines and even a new aircraft carrier that is currently under construction.

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