Yet just a stone’s throw away, on Assumption Island, India has long dreamed of establishing a naval base to counter China. Narendra Modi first announced the plan during a tour of Indian Ocean islands in 2015, and in 2018 it was agreed by India and the Seychelles. The Indian Ocean accounts for 40% of global maritime traffic and 80% of energy exports from the Persian Gulf to Asia. China, India and now the Gulf monarchies are all vying for influence in the region. The goal is to turn the Indian Ocean into a ‘Chinese sea’.