Given China's known interest in developing bases around the Indian Ocean littoral, a Chinese base in Maldives would not be surprising. Although China claims that its bases are only for securing energy supplies to feed its growing economy, Indian experts perceive the Chinese base in Maldives as motivated by Beijing's determination to contain and encircle India, and thereby limit the growing influence of the Indian Navy in the region. The Marao base deal was finalized after two years of negotiations when Chinese Prime minister Zhu Rongzi visited Male in May 2001. Once Marao comes up as the new Chinese 'pearl', Beijing's power projection in the Indian Ocean would be augmented.
