China is hunting for 'treasure' in the Indian Ocean with help from US's NASA; what's really happening in India's neighborhood?

India.com

17-07-2025

There is a power struggle between the United States and China in the Indian Ocean. The Chinese presence and activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have increased substantially in the last few years. This is undoubtedly unsettling for both India, with the challenge of China's immediate presence in its neighborhood, and for the United States, which is becoming increasingly concerned about Beijing's expanding influence.
What is the 'treasure' China is searching for beneath the Indian Ocean?
The fight for supremacy in the Indian Ocean is well known, as is the clash between the two nations for control over the global mineral resource wealth. In this context, a surprising fact has come to light — it has now been disclosed that America has been a key player in assisting China with its mining efforts in the Indian Ocean.
As per a recent article from the South China Morning Post(SCMP), scientists in China have expressed appreciation to NASA, the U.S. space agency, for providing China with very significant data about the Indian Ocean. Chinese oceanographers have been using this information to expedite the search for minerals in the Indian Ocean. On June 12, the Chinese research team published a paper in the 'Chinese Journal of Tropical Oceanography' on how the satellite data boosted their research, reported the South China Morning Post. The team led by Mao Huabin, of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Science, wrote, 'Thank you, Nasa … for providing the gravitational field data.'
What kind of data did NASA provide, and how did China access it?
Such unexpected collaboration has raised several questions: Why are two competitors— China and the U.S.— partnering in India's backyard? What's driving this unlikely relationship? According to the report, the U.S. agency did not directly assist China. But the United States' twin GRACE satellites detected an unusual pattern southeast of India while mapping the oceans. Afterwards, NASA detected an unusual spike in gravity readings over a relatively flat seabed several thousand metres deep. The space agency then made this data publicly available online, free for anyone to access and use.
Who is helping China in this deep-sea exploration mission—directly or indirectly?
Chinese oceanographers who came across the data decided to dig deeper. In 2022, they outfitted the Shiyan 6, one of the most advanced research vessels in the world, with advanced instruments and went on a deep-sea trip of more than 12,000 nautical miles.
Chinese researchers found that regions of the oceanic crust where these layers were upthrust upward were enriched with minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare Earths. This upthrust was attributed to underlying magma. They were able to discover the target areas for exploration, saving years of investigation and millions of dollars in the process.
In appreciation, Mao Huabin's team from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology wrote, 'Thank you, Nasa … for providing the gravitational field data.' U.S. legislation prohibits NASA from working with China in any aspect.
According to the South China Morning Post(SCMP) report, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment(GRACE) project is a multi-national initiative process in Potsdam, Germany; that is to say, access to the gravity measurements is disseminated via academic channels without any government military agendas, hence the Chinese scientists were not impeded in by international regulations.
The Chinese research team thanked not only NASA but also the German Aerospace Centre for the public data. As deep-sea mining is becoming more urgent internationally, it is clear that the race to exploit underwater mineral resources is accelerating.
In April, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order effectively permitting American companies to engage in deep-sea mining without needing authorization through the United Nations. This illustrates how serious the U.S. government is about extending its influence over marine mining.
China has United Nations permission to explore the Indian Ocean and other international waters. It has more submersibles capable of going to the ocean's deepest trenches than anyone else. Chinese shipyards are constructing vessels at nearly 200 times the pace of the U.S. shipyards, according to the report.