Myanmar has declined India’s request for a naval visit to Coco Islands, heightening concerns over potential Chinese military presence close to India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The strategic Coco Islands, only 100 km from Indian waters, are suspected of housing a Chinese listening post that could monitor Indian naval activities and missile tests. Despite reassurances from Myanmar’s military junta that no Chinese nationals operate there, India’s strategic planners remain wary of China’s investments in Myanmar, particularly through the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which facilitates China’s access to the Indian Ocean. This situation underscores the evolving geopolitical dynamics in the Bay of Bengal, marking it as a new theater of rivalry between India and China, as regional security and economic interests become increasingly intertwined.