The choice of a defence minister from the Chinese navy is also an attempt to avoid further embarrassment for China, domestically as well as externally.
The navy has thwarted five piracy attempts in and around the Arabian Sea in the last few days and responded to distress calls made by merchant ships hit by missiles and drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels
The Defence Minister was addressing the third edition of Project 'Veer Gatha', a collaborative initiative of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education as part of Republic Day celebrations, at DRDO Bhawan in Delhi.