China Potentially to Expand Indian Ocean Presence

This would be an enormous development if it happened, and would represent the biggest baby step in US-China military relations to date.

It will also bring out the claws of China hawks warning of sustained long term Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean, which is exactly what it would represent.

Remember when the Chinese floated the suggestion they needed a base in the Indian Ocean. This would represent one more logical reason from their POV.