Increased military activities on Myanmar island near Andaman and Nicobar, runway expansion, hangar and radar station built in recent months, is China behind this?

Much military construction, including expansion of runways, hangars and radar stations in recent months near Myanmar’s Cocoa Island near Andaman and Nicobar, has raised doubts about whether these behind the infrastructure China is The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are 1,200 km off the east coast of India, but Coco Island is strategically located about 42–55 km to the north of the Indian archipelago. There has long been speculation, but never confirmed, that China is using the Cocoa Islands as a “listening post” in the region.

Satellite imagery from firm Maxar Technologies shows renewed construction activity on the Cocoa Islands, including a fresh 2,300m-long runway on Great Cocoa Island. An official said that if China is directly behind the construction of infrastructure in the Cocoa Islands, it will obviously be a matter of great concern for India. India, on its part, is gradually building up infrastructure in the 572-island Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with all assets and manpower of the Army, Navy, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard under one operational commander as a counterweight. Apna is the only theater command. For China’s growing footprint in the Indian Ocean region.

New Delhi has also rapidly ramped up military ties with Myanmar, the only ASEAN country with which it shares a 1,643 km land and sea border, over the years. But India cannot match the financial and military might of China, which has established close ties with the junta in Myanmar. Beijing has launched several infrastructure projects in the country through the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor to obtain an alternative route to access the Indian Ocean region instead of its current heavy reliance on the Malacca Strait.