New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- China's rapid naval expansion and its deepening military partnership with Pakistan pose a direct challenge to India's security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the parliamentary Committee on external affairs has warned. The panel flagged that the "China-Pakistan naval nexus not only facilitates joint military exercises but also advances Pakistan's naval modernisation," adding that this growing cooperation could "destabilise the balance of power in the region." It has urged the government to counter the threat by intensifying India's military exercises with partner nations. The Shashi Tharoor-led 31-member panel stressed that India's leadership role in the IOR is a "natural and necessary extension of its geopolitical and economic interests." "The Indian Ocean is undeniably an integral part of India's global strategy, and it is in India's best interest to assert its role as a guardian of this vital maritime space," it noted. However, the committee found India's approach to the region "fragmented" due to overlapping strategic frameworks - SAGAR for the IOR and MAHASAGAR for the Global South. "There appears to be considerable overlap between the objectives of SAGAR and MAHASAGAR, which could lead to confusion regarding their distinct and collective goals. In the Committee's view, a clear and unified vision will provide further strategic coherence and effectiveness to these initiatives," it added. This sharp assessment comes just weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit on August 31-September 1, where Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed hopes the meeting would mark "a new stage of high-quality development featuring greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness." HTC...