Unprecedented developments at the Northern Borders necessitated large scale resource mobilisation, orchestration of forces and immediate response, said Indian Army Chief…reports Asian Lite News
Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Thursday that developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh add to the ongoing legacy challenges on India’s “active and disputed borders” on the Western and Eastern Front.
Speaking at the 116th annual session of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), General Naravane said as far as Northern neighbour is concerned India has an outstanding border issue.
Responding to continued Chinese aggression at the border, he said: “We are well prepared to meet any misadventure that may occur as we have demonstrated in the past. Such kinds of incidents will continue to occur till such time a long term solution is reached, that is to have a boundary agreement… That should be the thrust of our efforts so that we have lasting peace along our northern borders.”
He also said that the unprecedented developments at the Northern Borders necessitated large scale resource mobilisation, orchestration of forces and immediate response, and all this in a Covid infested environment.
Concurrently, there was also a need to reinforce the efforts of the government in mitigating the ongoing health crisis.
He said that the Armed Forces contributed during this highly challenging and sensitive period towards the making of a resilient India.
“You would appreciate that each of the three Services — the Army, Navy and the Air Force — has its own set of challenges. Because of our peculiar environment of contested borders and an ongoing proxy war in the hinterland, the Indian Army is in active operations throughout the year, safeguarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our Nation,” General Naravane said.
Maintaining high levels of readiness and operational preparedness to meet contingencies, is therefore part of the Army’s culture, he stated.
However, a challenge like the Covid pandemic was unique and unprecedented. “We had to protect ourselves, only then could we discharge our duties and help others,” he said.
Indian Army Chief M.M. Naravane (Photo: Bidesh Manna/IANS)
Strict Force Preservation measures were undertaken in the initial days of the pandemic, even as there was no dilution to the ongoing operational commitments.
As the magnitude and scale of the pandemic unfolded over time, we realised that these early actions to stay ahead of the curve, had a strong bearing on the future course of our operations.
The combined capabilities of the three Services were pressed into service to augment the national effort. The Indian Air Force undertook massive air evacuation of our citizens stranded in various countries while at the same time ferrying tons of medical supplies.
In the Western diplomatic toolkit, Quad is at the forefront due to the assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific from military expansion and stealth economic takeover, ‘strategic trap’ to shackle nations under Chinese ‘BRI’ orbit…writes Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
Alliance gives new meaning to political boundaries on physical maps empowering coalitions with political preferences to work together. President Biden does “not seek a new Cold War”, clearly expressing at the UNGA and many other leaders are with Biden, including Indian Prime Minister Modi, where the world divided into two rigid blocks will only limit progress and prosperity to many nations. In reality, Cold War structures will resurrect when the rules-based order is threatened, and robust partnerships are required to maintain the security balance.
President Biden established a more structured alliance, the AUKUS, a week before the first-ever in-person Quad Summit in Washington DC on September 24. AUKUS, the security alliance, will enhance the capability of the US, the UK and Australia on deterrence, an expansion of underwater warfare capabilities of the nuclear-powered submarine fleet to Australia for extended patrols. With more military capacity in Indo-Pacific and substantial naval presence, the like-minded nations in the new security alliance will deter China’s aggressiveness in the South China Sea and the surrounding waters. Many like-minded nations with democratic values who subscribe to Free and Open Indo-pacific (FOIP) norms will be part of the AUKUS security structure in the future. While the security alliances are usually heavily structured, the primary informal structure with a non-militaristic space will be the Quad which is more informal. Michael J. Green from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) argues, “It’s like a dimmer, not an off-on switche It’s a flexible tool, including who joins. It’s flexible for a Korea or a New Zealand or the UK. If they decide they’re upset with China, they can send a frigate to the next exercise.” The flexibility of the Quad made it easier for nations like Singapore to join military exercises a few years ago with the Quad and many other nations to follow bilateral or trilateral naval exercises to enhance the value of a critical Quad goal, to maintain a free and open Indo Pacific (FOIP).
In the Western diplomatic toolkit, Quad is at the forefront due to the assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific from military expansion and stealth economic takeover, ‘strategic trap’ to shackle nations under Chinese ‘BRI’ orbit. “The Quad has come together due to china’s assertive behavioure and economic dependence of some countries”, explains ORF scholar Druva Jaishankar. The Quad is a non-security arrangement due to India’s appeal to leave security out of its core agenda. Focused more on securing supply-chain security, semiconductors and vaccine diplomacy was the primary focus. China was not mentioned during the summit due to the Biden administration’s idea of Quad to project a positive vision towards a vaccine, climate change, critical technologies and not a grouping to contain China.
However, Raja C. Mohan from ISAS Singapore observed, “China’s peaceful rise has not been peaceful, a concern to many nations… having bitten once [by China] people are finding alternatives.” China’s assertiveness with military expanse, the concern of human rights and coercive economic practices with stealth takeover of strategic assets promoting alternative governance structures with more militaristic regimes such as in Sri Lanka would alter the core agenda of the Quad. India, which preferred a non-military configuration for the Quad, would perhaps be forced to bring insecurity to the Quad agenda in the future to defend and protect the regional balance due to China in its immediate neighborhood.
Quad, initiated in post-Asian Tsunami in 2004, has been at the forefront during the pandemic to “play the role of a force for global good”. Explains Prime Minister Modi, “I’m confident that our cooperation under Quad will ensure prosperity and peace in the Indo-Pacific and in the world.”
Quad’s informal arrangement will allow other non-Quad nations to join and support the norms and values of democracy and international law in the future. The countries that have been direct victims of China’s aggressiveness will join the Quad to deter China in the future. The informal structure of Quad to protect and bring democratic nations together, to give protection to nations that have become victims of China’s “debt trap”, such as Sri Lanka. It will also be a balancing counterweight to Chinese expansion. The “strategic trap” is visible in Sri Lanka from its long term 99 years leased out strategic infrastructure. The Hambanthota port and Colombo Port City were the best examples of strategic expanse. While accepting and expanding the Chinese loans, Sri Lanka rejected substantial grants such as the US MCC. Recently at Carnegie Endowment, the Sri Lankan Foreign secretary explained the rejection of the US MCC grant of $480m by the government was due to “democracy and people’s power” that scrapped the project, defending that there was no China hand behind. The foreign secretary has forgotten the concocted Presidential expert commission report projecting a national security threat.
Chinese sphere of influence has now enlarged into Sri Lanka’s democratic space, where the Sri Lankan regime defends Chinese human rights in Xinjiang, clear signs of reciprocal arrangements to receive assistance from China to defend the grave human rights concerns in Sri Lanka raised by the UN High Commissioner at the 48th UNHRC session a few weeks ago. The recent expression of Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage was “we wish to remain neutral in our foreign policy”, which contravenes with the Chinese bandwagoning foreign policy posture taken by the same regime. Colombage further explained that Chinese warship arrivals are far less than India and Japanese warship arrivals to Sri Lanka, where 563 warships have visited since 2009ehinting a less significance of Chinese presence and interest from the volume of warship arrivals. Unfortunately, the ill-logical view does not capture the broader strategic danger to the Island nation and its neighbour India.
India will have two concerns with Chinese aggression and the strategic takeover of its neighbouring nations. First, to strengthen its external alliance structure, such as from Quad to bring in nations like Sri Lanka towards the norms and values of the international system rather than allowing drift from a Quasi-democracy to military control autocratic regime. This drift towards China will pose a direct threat to India’s security. While economic practices and standards are also part of Quad dialogue, supply chain security shows groups intention to work together in the economic arena where China’s place in the world economy would limit how far the Quad could achieve success in bringing standards to economic practices. Biden administration’s focus on the B3W (Build Back Better World) initiative will complement the economic infrastructure standards and supply chain security in the coming years.
Biden administration will focus more on Quad and the G-7, the two core organizing bodies that will centre on the global international system to achieve tangible results. India has a strong position and voice in both of these platforms than any South Asian nation. As mentioned by PM Modi, India is a “natural ally for the G7 countries in the fight againstauthoritarianism, terrorism and violent extremism, disinformation, and economic coercion, among other threats”.
Second, to partner and support security alliances, a more formal structure such as AUKUS will be of India’s interest since the mini-lateral compliments India’s vision towards achieving a rules-based Indo-Pacific. ORF scholar Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan aptly capture “AUKUS is an important development because it signifies the capability augmentation of one of India’s closest strategic partners, with whom it has just started a 2+2 ministerial dialogue. A strong and capable Australia is in India’s interests, that of the Quad and the broader Indo-Pacific region”.
These mini-lateral platforms will crisscross the Indian Ocean, where Sri Lanka, an important maritime nation located geo-strategically in the Indian Ocean, will be a crucial maritime partner to consider, unfortunately in the present context drifting towards Chinese orbit. Nations like Sri Lanka are essential due to their open access to the Indian ocean, where naval exercises and maritime security will be primary drivers for sustaining the mini lateral military arrangements. Sri Lanka’s security trilateral signed by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime with India and Maldives is a mini lateral in the right direction and will benefit Sri Lanka. India would require a two-pronged strategy to its northern borders and its South, the Indian Ocean. India, the only nation among the Quad nations that share a physical geographical border with China, is more vulnerable than the other Quad partners for confrontation, just like in the past. India’s challenges from its western flank, from Af-Pak, will grow with the Chinese footprint expanding in Afghanistan. From India’s South, the security balance of the Indian Ocean will be of primary interest where Sri Lanka, Maldives and other literals cannot be ignored.
The efforts of mini lateral democratic alliances such as Quad should focus more on targeted nations like Sri Lanka by the Chinese “debt and strategic trap”. Sri Lankan regime seeping away from democratic norms to a militarized rule has drifted from the Indo-Pacific configuration, a geographical flashpoint in India’s vicinity. The Quad should actively engage and seek commitment from nations like Sri Lanka, pulling towards the norms and values of a rules-based order. The country-specific strategic push from the Quad will assist Sri Lanka to recalibrate its foreign policy towards a more balanced and progressive path with international norms and values.
(Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is a geopolitical analyst, strategic advisor on security from Sri Lanka)
Earlier this year, China had brought troops from the Tibet Military region to the Xinjiang region that is responsible for Karakoram Pass down to south Uttarakhand…reports Asian Lite News
Chinese People’s Liberation Army carried out a night battle exercise at over 16,000 feet on the heights of Xinjian, near the Indian border amid the two countries’ border dispute in eastern Ladakh and ongoing military and diplomatic talks to resolve it.
The Western Theatre Command carried out the night battle exercise recently to boost their capabilities, sources said. The theatre command oversees the Xinjiang and the Tibet autonomous regions as well as the border with India, making it the largest geographical area under one command in the PLA.
Earlier this year, China had brought troops from the Tibet Military region to the Xinjiang region that is responsible for Karakoram Pass down to south Uttarakhand. Further, they have deployed larger numbers of long-range artillery and are rapidly building infrastructure on the Tibetan plateau.
After these troops were brought, the PLA has started carrying out military exercises in the region.
Further, China has refurbished its existing airfields in Tibetan plateau that will allow twin-engines fighter aircraft to be stationed. They are currently revamping 30 airports built or under construction in Xinjiang and Tibet for military transportation.
China has revamped infrastructure in Tibet, launching a high-speed bullet train connecting provincial capital Lhasa with Nyingchi, the Tibetan border town close to Arunachal Pradesh.
The Chinese have also been rapidly enhancing military infrastructure at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after clashes with India last year.
India too has reoriented around 50,000 troops whose main focus is now at the disputed border with China.
Both the countries decided to resolve the issue through talks.
Last month, in another major breakthrough, India and China withdrew troops from friction point, Patrolling Point (PP) 17 in Gogra at the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
Both the countries have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner.
Indian military delegates will meet their Chinese counterparts to discuss disengagement at the other friction area, the Depsang plains.
The build-up in Depsang was not being considered part of the current standoff that started in May last year as escalations here took place in 2013. India has insisted during recent military commander meetings to resolve all issues across the LAC.
In the last few years, China has repeatedly tried to make incursions into the Indian entertainment industry and influence Bollywood through the mechanism of co-productions of movies….reports Asian Lite News
A research study has shown that China has lavishly spent huge sums of money to buy influence in India’s film world, universities, social institutions, research think-tanks, social media, and the tech industry, posing a serious threat to national security and democracy.
The 76-page report titled “Mapping Chinese Footprints and Influence Operation in India” released by the Law and Society Alliance on September 3 tries to identify how deep and extensive the Chinese foothold in India is.
The report covers a wide range of topics and identifies key elements and ways in which Chinese intelligence services and the Chinese Communist Party government have entrenched themselves into various Indian sectors from the entertainment industry to academia.
Besides highlighting the Indian industries and areas where China has over the years increased its influence through strategic investments, the report also touches upon Beijing’s hidden agenda in increasing its influence to shape the opinion of the common man, the voters, in India.
Through a combination of financial investments, as seen in the entertainment industry, to propaganda in the socio-political realm through the Confucius Institutes, Beijing is using every trick in its playbook to make inroads into the Indian economy and society in order to try and advance its own selfish narrative and to create discord within the Indian society with regard to China’s actions and motives.
In the last few years, China has repeatedly tried to make incursions into the Indian entertainment industry and influence Bollywood through the mechanism of co-productions of movies.
The clearest evidence of Beijing attempting to influence Bollywood was the hosting of the China-India Film Co-Production Dialogue at the Beijing International Film Festival in 2019. The Chinese influence even successfully managed the participation of prominent Indian cinema icons like Shah Rukh Khan and Kabir Khan.
The report also highlights how the Chinese Communist Party has created a lobby group headed by an Indian lobbyist specifically for the Indian film industry.
Beijing’s influence has been subtle but systematic. The Chinese have managed to win over prominent individuals in film regulatory bodies that have ensured that Chinese interests are well represented in Bollywood, or at the very least not harmed.
One instance of this is how the Chinese successfully influenced the producers of the film “Rockstar” to blur a flag that had “Free Tibet” written on it that was shown in a popular song of the film.
Interestingly, China has thrice changed its military commander for the Western Theatre Command, which is responsible for borders with India…reports Asian Lite News
China and Pakistan have changed their military commanders overlooking the borders with India after the Taliban completely took over Afghanistan.
Top sources said that threats along the borders with China and Pakistan have also increased manifold as foreign terrorists would make attempts to enter into India to unleash unrest.
Interestingly, China has thrice changed its military commander for the Western Theatre Command, which is responsible for borders with India, in the last nine months.
“These moves are definitely a matter of concern for India,” said a senior government official, adding that the resolution of disputes along the borders with these two countries would be nowhere in near future.
On Tuesday, Pakistan appointed Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas, who was responsible for the security of the Line of Control (LoC) with India, as the next Chief of General Staff. The post is considered the most influential position within the army after the Pakistan Army chief. Chief of General Staff looks after operational and intelligence matters at the General Headquarters with the directorates of Military Operations and Military Intelligence.
Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza has been posted as the Commander of Rawalpindi Corps and Lieutenant General Muhammad Chiragh Haider has been given the responsibility of the Commander of Multan Corps, which is one of the main strike Corps of the Pakistan Army.
Rawalpindi Corps looks after the Line of Control (LoC).
The changes took place after Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed met Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar recently. Baradar, the co-founder of Taliban, has been made the Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping appointed General Wang Haijiang as the Commander of the Western Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army.
The Western Theatre Command oversees the Xinjiang and the Tibet Autonomous Regions, as well as the borders with India.
General Wang Haijiang, 58, replaced General Xu Qiling, 59, who was only promoted in July this year to head the Western Theatre Command.
Earlier, General Xu replaced General Zhang Xudong, 59, in July who was appointed around mid-December last year to head the command, replacing 65-year-old Gen Zhao Zongqi who retired from the PLA.
It is not yet clear what will be the new role of General Xu Qiling and General Zhang Xudong, both still in service, after being relieved from the Western Command.
Seeing a change of guard on northern and western borders, the Indian military has enhanced security apparatus along the borders apart are making strategic changes.
Indian military delegates are discussing disengagement at friction areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and 900 square km Depsang plains, reports Asian Lite News
The twelfth round of top commanders-level talks between India and China are underway at Moldo on the Chinese side in the Ladakh region on Saturday.
The talks are happening after a gap of three months. Indian military delegates are discussing disengagement at friction areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and 900 square km Depsang plains.
Indian delegation is led by Leh-based XIV Corps chief Lt Gen P.G.K. Menon and Additional Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Naveen Srivastava.
The Chinese military delegation is led by Commander of the PLA’s Western Theatre Command Xu Qiling, who was appointed earlier this month.
Indian Army Chief visits Siachen, Ladakh; reviews operational operational preparedness
The build-up in Depsang was not being considered part of the current standoff that started in May last year as escalation here took place in 2013. India has insisted during recent military commander meetings to resolve all issues across the Line of Actual Control.
“The initial attempt will be to resolve Gogra and Hot Springs. Finding a solution to Depsang might be tricky and take longer,” said the officer.
In April, during 11th round of Corps Commander level talk, the focus was disengagement on friction points at Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang. On February 20, Indian and Chinese militaries held 10th round of dialogue to de-escalate tension at the Line of Actual Control.
Till now, apart from 11 round of Corps Commanders-level talks, the two forces have also held 10 Major Generals level, 55 Brigadiers-level talks and 1,450 calls over the hotlines.
China has been enhancing military infrastructure across the Line of Control.
Looking at it, India has changed its posture towards China, unlike its previous defensive approach that placed a premium on fending on Chinese aggression, India is now catering to military options to strike back and has reoriented its military accordingly.
Disengagement in south of Pangong Lake
India has reoriented around 50,000 troops whose main focus will be the disputed border with China. The reorientation comes when China is refurbishing its existing air-fields in Tibetan Plateau that will allow twin-engines fighter aircraft to be stationed, sources said.
In addition, China has also brought troops from the Tibet Military region to the Xinjiang region that passes through Karakoram range down south Uttarakhand.
Further, they have deployed larger numbers of long range artillery and are rapidly building infrastructure in the Tibetan Plateau.
So far, the troops of two Himalayan giants have disengaged from both the banks of Pangong Tso in February this year.
