The recent news that the US military is renaming the US Pacific Command as the US Indo-Pacific Command has been framed as simply a recognition of the inter-connectedness of the larger oceanic area. It might also be an acknowledgement of the wider global role that the US military needs to play.
In symbolic nod to India, US changes name of Pacific Command
It is also being seen as a nod towards the increased importance being given to India, particularly in the face of the rising presence of China across the region, and the potential for conflict that brings.
But this is not likely to go down well with Pakistan and even the assertion that this is simply a geographical adjustment will not be well received. Because as this story from about a year back shows, the naming of the Indian Ocean, however ancient its roots, has always been an irritatant for the modern nation of Pakistan.
At various times Pakistan has proposed the renaming of the Ocean to a name more its liking, but such proposals have never been taken seriously. The naming of seas is a complex and contentious business and it is one where India has been unexpectedly lucky.
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