The Indian Ocean plays a crucial role in energy trade and maritime transportation, with strategic significance for India. The United States is implementing the "Indo Pacific Strategy" with the aim of building an Indo Pacific strategic system centered around the United States, and India expresses its support for this. The United States is attempting to incorporate India into its strategy and leverage its geopolitical advantages to counterbalance China. The United States regards China's friendly relations with countries along the Indian Ocean as a "pearl chain" strategy, and believes that China will expand its influence in the region through the "the Belt and Road" initiative. Indian strategists point out that China's political and economic interests have extended to the entire Indian Ocean, and China is becoming an important participant in regional governance. The paper explores the impact of the changing strategic position of the Indian Ocean under the promotion of the US Indo Pacific strategy on China's construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

1、 The US' Indo Pacific Strategy 'drives changes in the strategic position of the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean has become a global strategic location due to its geographical location and resources, and the implementation of the US "Indo Pacific Strategy" has further promoted its strategic position. American geopolitical scientists believe that controlling the Indian Ocean is crucial for controlling the Eurasian continent. The US military presence in the Indian Ocean and cooperation with India aim to contain China's influence and safeguard its own geopolitical interests. India is actively developing its naval forces and strengthening cooperation with countries around the Indian Ocean to enhance its influence in the region. At the same time, countries such as the UK, Japan, and Australia actively participate in Indian Ocean affairs, demonstrating their existence and pursuit of geopolitical interests, which intensifies regional power competition and poses a challenge to regional peace and stability.

2、 Strategic Objectives of the United States, Europe, and Japan in the Indian Ocean Region

The strategic goals of the United States in the Indian Ocean region include controlling shipping routes, providing public safety products, containing China's maritime power, and acquiring economic resources. The United States regards the Indian Ocean as a key trade and energy channel, with the intention of controlling shipping routes through maritime power and maintaining global maritime hegemony. At the same time, the United States provides public goods such as scientific research and security guarantees to gain support from allies and partner countries. The United States is also concerned about China's activities in the Indian Ocean, attempting to contain the growth of China's maritime power. In addition, the United States seeks to acquire abundant oil, gas, and mineral resources in the Indian Ocean region to support its strategic expansion.

3、 The changing strategic position of the Indian Ocean affects the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

Detailed analysis was conducted on how the changing strategic position of the Indian Ocean affects the construction of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road". The military activities and geopolitical competition of countries such as the United States, India, and France in the Indian Ocean region have intensified the complexity of the region's security, posing challenges to the safety of maritime routes and smooth trade along the Maritime Silk Road. The United States and India have strengthened their military presence in the Indian Ocean through increased military deployments and joint military exercises, which not only disrupt the operation of the Maritime Silk Road but may also monitor and inspect Chinese merchant ships. In addition, non-traditional security factors such as terrorism, ethnic separatism, and religious extremism are showing a trend of diversification in the Indian Ocean region, posing risks to the construction of the Maritime Silk Road. The United States and India are also attempting to sow discord between China and Indian Ocean countries by strengthening their cooperative relationships, hindering the construction of the Maritime Silk Road. At the same time, the United States and India are also increasing their economic and connectivity investments to build regional economic partnerships that align with their own interests, which to some extent excludes the construction of the Maritime Silk Road. The United States provides loans and financial assistance through the 2018 Investment Promotion Act, while India promotes regional development and offsets China's influence in the region through initiatives such as the "Monsoon Plan" and "Spice Road", as well as economic cooperation and connectivity projects with other countries. These measures not only affect the promotion of the Maritime Silk Road, but also pose challenges to the implementation of the "the Belt and Road" initiative in the Indian Ocean region.