Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to begin a tour of three Indian Ocean countries Tuesday as he seeks to prevent China from establishing a military foothold in a region his nation has dominated for decades.
Modi was scheduled to visit Seychelles and Mauritius before ending the trip in Sri Lanka, the first visit by an Indian prime minister in 28 years, and where a January election produced a new government vowing to reduce dependence on China.
During the stops, he'll look to expand military as well as economic ties — something that India had avoided until recently.