Why India Should be Concern About China's Growing Military

China intends to be a predominant military power in the region and will not hesitate to use its armed forces to protect its development interests. Image: Joe Chan / Reuters

Why China's Growing Military Should Concern India -- Anirudha Dutta, Forbes

India has several reasons to be wary of, and counter, China’s military build-up

China’s latest white paper on defence, a once-in-two-year exercise, was issued on April 16. It clearly underscores the importance of the People’s Liberation Army and its pivotal role in the economic development and growth of China. Its military rise is of concern for India, given its proximity to Pakistan, from where India has faced continuous threats of terrorism and military misadventures. The strategic relationship with Pakistan is evident from the number of joint exercises and training carried out in 2011-12 and economic investments.

The white paper emphasises China’s peaceful rise and its intent to “never seek hegemony... But we will surely counterattack if attacked”. China now sees itself as a world power that has arrived and it will likely intrude, even if it is not attacked, based on perceived threat or slight. The report says, “China’s security and development are closely connected with the peace and prosperity of the world as a whole.” This seems at times to be at odds with its sense of insecurity and the challenges that the report highlights in order to justify its massive military build-up.

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My Comment: The Chinese are making their intentions very clear .... and India is only now starting to pay attention.

Chinese Premier: India And China Must Resolve Border Row For 'World Peace'

India And China Bid To Resolve Border Row For 'World Peace' -- The Telegraph

India and China have agreed to speed efforts to settle their simmering border dispute after Li Keqiang, the Chinese premier, said "world peace" depends on it.

In his first foreign trip since taking power in March, Mr Li's visit to New Delhi reflects the growing strategic rivalry between the two main Asian powers but also their need for increased bi-lateral trade. His talks with Indian prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh today focussed on how the two countries can prevent the former being an obstacle to the latter.

The visit came close to being cancelled earlier this month after Chinese troops pitched tents on what India regards as its territory in Ladakh on their Himalayan border and unfurled banners warning Indian troops "You have crossed the border, please go back."

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My Comment: China is involved in border disputes with all of it's neighbors .... I am not optimistic that the Chinese are going to give anything away in these talks .... if anything .... they will probably be asking for more.

India And China Face-Off In The Indian Ocean

Map locates the major Indian Ocean oil trade routes and newly developed ports built by China. ESRI / AP

After Fighting Over Mountains, India and China Lock Horns In The Indian Ocean -- Ishaan Tharoor, Time

In mid-April, a platoon of Chinese soldiers trooped some 20 km into territory considered India’s and pitched tents and unfurled banners. When detected by Indian forces, the Chinese refused to leave, triggering a tense three-week standoff between the two Asian giants that ended only after both sides backed down from their windswept Himalayan posts and returned to the pre-existing status quo. The incident was the most dramatic flare-up between India and China in recent years, the latest reminder of how things can hot up along a vast, snowbound border that has for decades remained in dispute.

Top officials in both New Delhi and Beijing tried to play down what happened. Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid described the border tensions as “acne” on the otherwise “beautiful face” of Sino-Indian relations. On a recent trip to Beijing, Khurshid insisted both countries “were on the same page” and “don’t have prickly issues of significant difference” regarding the unsettled border. Ahead of newly installed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s May 19 visit to India — his maiden foreign mission — the two countries have made conciliatory noises over resolving the thorny issue of the border, even though over a dozen rounds of talks have failed to achieve any real progress. In a measure to build trust, the two countries laid plans during the standoff to hold joint military exercises for the first time in five years.

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My Comment: This India - China rivalry in the Indian Ocean goes back years.