What Are Chinese Submarines Doing in the Indian Ocean?

China, although an outside power, is seeking to carve out a role for itself in the Indian Ocean region through its Maritime Silk Road initiative. The Maritime Silk Road -- along with an overland Silk Road to connect China with Central Asia, the Caspian Sea basin and beyond -- bears the imprint of President Xi Jinping, who has articulated a more expansive role for China than any modern Chinese