Mumbai: New Delhi has offered Beijing the protection of its navy yesterday to help China secure shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean that are crucial to the energy needs of its fast-growing economy, writes the FT. Pallam Raju, India's defence minister, said India was "happy" to assist China in keeping open sea lanes between the Middle East and Asia and guard against piracy or conflict.
The minister said New Delhi "understands that [China] needed to protect its oil interests", in explanation of an increasing Chinese presence across the Indian Ocean. "It's about oil," he said. [19/02/10]
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