Divya Delhi: In the disputed Indo-Pacific, survey vessels are increasingly shaping strategic power rather than battleships. Hydrographic missions in the South China Sea are charting every seafloor contour and feature, bolstering Beijing's territorial claims in disputed seas. Seabed surveys support Beijing's legal claims to sovereignty in the Spratlys and Paracel Islands, enabling strategic infrastructure development and naval and paramilitary force deployment. The message is clear: mappers rule the water. China's survey aspirations go beyond the Pacific. Its research and hydrographic vessels are increasingly seen off Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Myanmar in the Indian Ocean. New Delhi was alarmed when a French marine intelligence outfit identified a Chinese research vessel in the Bay of Bengal last month. Such vessels are known to collect bathymetric data in key routes and exclusive economic zones where China has no sovereign stake, claiming to be performing scientific study. Regional navies can see that hydrography is no longer a technocratic endeavor for China. It facilitates marine influence and strategic presence.