China’s military posturing affects shipping realignments in Indian Ocean

As China continues its assertive military drills across key Indo-Pacific maritime routes, ripples of geopolitical tension intersect with dramatic shifts in maritime trade logistics.

The prolonged insecurity in the Red Sea, punctuated by missile attacks and drone strikes, has forced global shipping lines to abandon the Suez Canal, rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope and injecting new strategic importance into ports across East Africa and the Indian Ocean.

These developments are unfolding even as regional port infrastructure undergoes transformative investment and expansion, much of it with Chinese backing.