ABSTRACT
The Indian Ocean Region consists of a total of 40 countries which are highly diverse – economically, politically and culturally. The CIA World Fact Book states that the Indian Ocean covers 68.556 million sq. km. 1 It is one of the most important sea lines of communication (SLOCs) within the region as well as between the East and the West besides being the source of 20 per cent of world’s petroleum exports.
China’s energy and trade routes
