New Delhi, Aug 6 - A Chinese warship will make a 'port call' at Kochi on the western coast Aug 8-12, reflecting China's increasing interest in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), said an official.

The Chinese guided-missile destroyer Shenzhen will visit Kochi after completing its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.

'The warship will be making a port call at Kochi. Indian warships have also made port calls at Chinese ports earlier and it is the sign of enhanced engagement between the two navies,' a senior Indian Navy official said, requesting anonymity.

The official refused to give further information about the port call.

The Chinese warship had earlier docked at an Indian port in 2005 when it took part in an exercise with the Indian Navy.

Indian and Chinese navies have been striving to increase their established influence sphere in the IOR to secure their respective energy supply routes.

China has been pursuing its policy of 'strings and pearls' to encircle India by acquiring stakes in ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Indian Navy, on the other hand, is banking on its soft power and has been engaging with nations in the IOR, the official said.

Acting on an SOS sent by Seychelles on rising piracy incidents near its coast, for instance, the Indian Navy sent a warship to patrol the area.