“The Ocean in the 21st Century”：A Study of the Indian Ocean from a Geo-Strategic Perspective

　　Abstract: After the Cold War, the Indian Ocean, a strategic arena with great history, catches the global attentions, for the prosperous maritime trade, the significance of crude oil from the Persian Gulf, and the upgraded counter-terrorism operations supported by international community.In the new era, the geo-strategic and geo-economic importance of the Indian Ocean are determined by its unique geographic structure and the strategic values of main choke points.Furthermore, such strategic importance has affected, even shaped the maritime strategies of major powers, such as India, USA, and China in the Indian Ocean.While Chinas concerns, both economic and strategic, in this region are increasing dramatically, it is vital for China to reconsider the Indian Ocean region from a geo-strategic perspective, especially to realize rationally the changes of the strategies or policies of those major powers towards the Indian Ocean, to protect and promote its strategic interests in the 21st century.