Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba today sounded caution over "increasing assertiveness of China" in the eastern sector of the border. He said that the "frequent transgression" by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China highlighted the "vulnerability of Siliguri Corridor".

"Frequent instance of transgression by PLA across LAC and recent standoff at Doklam are indication of increasing assertiveness of China, as it makes rapid progress economically and militarily. Recent developments have also underscored vulnerability of Siliguri Corridor," news agency ANI quoted the chief of naval staff as saying.

Admiral Sunil Lanba's comment follows a fast paced development in the Eastern Indian Ocean, where Indian Navy yesterday deployed at least eight warships to keep an eye on Chinese naval forces that conducted a military drill in the open sea.

Chinese have shown increasing interests in the Indian Ocean countries in India's neighbourhood including Sri Lanka and Maldives. India Today earlier reported that the deployment of warships in the Indian Ocean was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the Indian Navy was the net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region.

In the backdrop of Chinese military drill in Eastern Indian Ocean, news agency PTI quoted some government sources as saying that no Chinese warship was deployed close to the waters of the Maldives since political turmoil broke out in the island-nation.

India continues to have a significant presence in critical sea lanes in the Indian Ocean region, government sources said. However, a Chinese destroyer and a frigate had crossed into the Eastern Indian Ocean through the Sunda Strait and exited the Indian Ocean through the Lombok Strait while heading towards the South China Sea a few days ago, they said.

The sources also rejected media reports quoting Chinese website sina.com.cn that 11 Chinese warships had entered the East Indian Ocean amid a constitutional crisis in the Maldives.