Armed forces must be ready on both fronts |
The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on China titled ‘Military and Security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China,’ released last week, says: “China’s leadership has extended the term ‘core interest’ to cover Taiwan and China’s sovereignty claims amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.” It also states that China intends to incorporate these regions by 2049, although President Xi Jinping has asked the PLA to be ready to occupy Taiwan by 2027.
The report adds, in specific reference to Indo-China relations, “China probably seeks to capitalize on decreased tension along the LAC to stabilize bilateral relations and prevent deepening of US-India ties; however, India probably remains sceptical of China’s actions and motives. Continued mutual distrust and other irritants almost certainly limit the bilateral relationship.” There is no doubt that despite some normalization of ties, distrust exists. While disengagement has taken place along the LAC including by creation of buffer zones at some places, de-induction is nowhere on the cards. Additional troops deployed in the region remain in situ, a sign of continuing distrust.
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It is also possible that China is avoiding de-induction as this could enhance troop deployment in Kashmir, posing an additional threat to Pakistan and denying space to its sponsored terrorists. China displays its anti-India/ pro-Pakistan stance by backing Pakistan at every opportunity, despite Field Marshal Asim Munir’s tilt towards the US. It is known that apart from shielding Pakistan on the Pahalgam terrorist strike, while officially condoning it, China assisted Pakistan by providing it with intelligence and satellite inputs, intending to influence battlefield operations during Operation Sindoor. India refused to ink the joint statement of the SCO defence ministers as it mentioned the Jaffar train high-jacking but not Pahalgam.
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