Abstract:
Along with the shifting from a developing country to be a new emerging
superpower country, China’s economic growth and military development keep
rising for the past decades. However, those make China highly relies on energy
security and turns into energy importer. The majority of Chinese energy is
imported from the Middle East and Horn Africa and needs to be passed through
the Indian Ocean. To strengthen its energy, China is building cooperation with
Indian littoral states such as Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
through the initiation of Maritime Silk Road. The development of pipelines, ports,
and economic corridors are expected to give China direct access to the Indian
Ocean. The Indian Ocean as the home of strategic chokepoints and sea line of
communications (SLOC’s) also has several security issues such as piracy and
external military presence that can threaten China’s energy import routes and
China’s interests. This thesis tries to analyze the implementation of China’s
maritime security strategy to secure energy security in the Indian Ocean Region
in the period of 2015-2019. In analyzing that, this thesis will use qualitative
methodology that’s based on primary and secondary resources. Further, the
writer finds out that China is applying its maritime security strategy, far seas
operation strategy, as well as utilizing the Mahan’s idea of sea power. PLA Navy
deployment through the development of naval base, joint cooperation, and antipiracy
mission with the naval modernization is being done by China to secure the
SLOC’s and interests for its energy security in the Indian Ocean.
