While participating in a panel discussion session on Indo-Pacific at the Raisina Dialogue along with top Navy officials from the US, France, Japan and Australia, Indian Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba said, “Since 2008 there has been a permanent presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean region in the form of an anti-piracy escort force. At any given time there are 6-8 Chinese Navy ships in the northern part of the Indian Ocean.” “Two years ago, they commissioned their 1st overseas facility in Djibouti, stated the aim of this is to protect their trade flowing through this area. They have deployed submarines for an anti-piracy operation which is the most unlikely platform to be used for this role”, he added. “No doubt they are spending a huge sum of money to develop their military capability. In my opinion, no Navy has grown so rapidly in the last 200 years as the Chinese Navy, they added 80 new ships in the last 5 years. Chinese Navy is a force and it’s a force which is here to stay”, he further stated.