China wants to defeat India, Mongla port deal with Bangladesh, know how important it is

With China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean, India has scored a strategic victory by acquiring the right to operate a terminal at the Mongla port in Bangladesh. The deal is seen as part of New Delhi's efforts to catch up with Beijing in the maritime race to gain control of foreign ports. Mongla Port, Bangladesh's second largest port after Chittagong, is India's third successful attempt to operate foreign ports in recent years after Sabahar in Iran and Chitwe in Myanmar. According to reports, the terminal will be operated by Indian Port Global Limited (IPGL). With China investing in more than 100 ports in 63 countries, controlling major ports globally can improve a country's ability to demonstrate maritime power. China's control of ports in the Indian Ocean region is crucial to China's Maritime Silk Road initiative. Beijing is investing heavily in ports, from US$78 million in Djibouti to US$1.6 billion in Pakistan's Gwadar. Chinese companies are currently involved in 17 ports in the Indian Ocean, 13 of which are developing ports and have stakes in eight projects. Apart from the Indian Ocean, Chinese companies have also signed leases for ports or terminals in countries such as the United Arab Emirates. Strategically located ports in the Indian Ocean region will gain more importance in the next 25 years. China already exerts considerable influence in the region, controlling the Maldives, Djibouti, Gwadar in Pakistan and Hambantota port in Sri Lanka. About 80 percent of China's energy imports pass through the Indian Ocean region and the ports have become critical to its strategic investment. After Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's two-day visit, China did not help Bangladesh. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two countries have signed several cooperation agreements, including in the maritime sector. Earlier this month, Hasina visited China and met President Xi Jinping. According to the report, Hasina failed to secure a US$5 billion loan from Beijing to support Bangladesh's budget, instead receiving only US$137 million in financial assistance. How important is Mongla port? Besides, its role in regional security will be strengthened. In 2018, Bangladesh granted India access to Chittagong and Mongla ports for transit and cargo shipping, gaining control of Mongla will further enhance India's trade connectivity. In addition, India's landlocked Northeast region will provide maritime trade opportunities through alternative access to the port of Kolkata, avoiding the narrow and congested Siliguri route. Due to their close proximity to each other, delivery time from Mongla port and Kolkata port can be reduced, while delivery in the border area between Penabol city in Bangladesh and Petrabol land port in India can be delayed by up to 15 days. can Additionally, investment in the Mongla port will provide India with an opportunity to establish another foothold in the Bay of Bengal and wider Indian Ocean region, which is fast becoming an area of ​​geopolitical competition. India and other countries have seen a surge in China's seaport construction activities over the past two decades, not only in the Indian Ocean region but also in other parts of the world. Amid China's maritime expansion, companies from the US, Japan, India and other countries are increasingly involved in port investment. However, their intentions are different from Beijing's. Private companies such as Indian industrialist Adani Group are bidding for offshore projects in Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Israel and other countries. These private companies are run for profit and have no government or navy involvement, whereas the same cannot be said for China.