A Chinese conventional submarine sailed through the Arabian Sea and then docked for a week in Karachi thereby posing a challenge to India’s strategic interest. China is strengthening its maritime power and marking its presence in the seas around Indian sub-continent. In the present case the submarine passed close to the Indian waters before entering Pakistan.
Unconfirmed reports said Chinese Yuan Class 335 submarine crossed the Arabian Sea and entered Karachi port on May 22. The submarine with at least 65 crew members reportedly spent at least a week in Karachi refuelling before returning to China.
The submarine equipped with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles had set sail from Hainan Island in South China Sea on March 31 and entered the Gulf of Aden over a fortnight later. The first port of call of the submarine was Karachi on May 22.