Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a congratulatory message to newly elected President Droupadi Murmu, said that “China and India are important neighbours of each other, and that a healthy and stable China-India relationship is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people, as well as conducive to peace, stability and development in the region and across the world”. According to Xinhua news agency, “Xi also said that he attaches great importance to China-India relations, and stands ready to work with Murmu to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, properly handle differences and push bilateral ties forward on the right track.” Wonderful words that found zero reflection on the ground, coming as they did at a time when PLA Air Force (PLAAF) fighter aircraft were found flying near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in an obvious attempt to test India’s air defences. Media reports suggest that PLAAF even violated the 10 km long “confidence building line” and India had to mobilise its fighter jets to let the Chinese know that their activities would not go unchallenged. This is a dangerous escalation on China’s part, for never before have the Chinese used the PLAAF along the LAC to try and intimidate India, even though similar action is routine against Taiwan. And all this amid serious infrastructure building, including dual use ones, along the LAC. US Army’s Pacific Commanding General, Charles A. Flynn, during his visit to India last month, described the military infrastructure being built by the Chinese as “eye opening” and “alarming”. To put this in context, before Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, Russian military build-up along Ukraine’s borders was less than what the Chinese have been doing along the LAC. However, while there was a huge outcry against Russia from the Western world, any similar reaction is yet to be seen in the case of the Chinese build-up along the LAC. Ever since the Galwan incident of 2020, there has been no let-up in China’s open hostility, resulting in the troops from the two sides being locked in a standoff in the icy heights of the Himalayas for nearly two years. And now China is unilaterally ratcheting up tensions, as a result of which India has no choice but to increase its military build-up there, including deploying a second squadron of the S-400 in the Ladakh area. Xi Jinping anyway lets China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) decide Beijing’s India policy and it is in the CMC that Pakistan apparently has the maximum influence. In fact, experts accuse the Chinese of taking the Pakistan route to foment trouble in India. What else would explain the availability of funds that a bankrupt country like Pakistan has to stoke terror activities in India? The money has to be coming from China. Indian intelligence says that China has been directly talking to terrorist groups in Pakistan and that it has been trying to revive the Kashmir-focused terror group Al Badar, to work against India. Beijing is also providing material support to the insurgents in the Northeast. Experts in the know claim that the recent incident of manmade floods in Assam was actually an act of terror, with the breaching of the dykes being carried out by local men who were overground workers of Pakistan’s Chinese-funded terror network.
And this is just one aspect of China’s malign warfare against India. Think of the hold that Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers have on India’s telecom network, with all of them having strong connections with the People’s Liberation Army. A couple of days ago, a report by CNN said that the FBI had said that “Chinese-made Huawei equipment could disrupt US nuclear arsenal communications”. Seen in the Indian context, Huawei may be out of the 5G race, but till date, Chinese equipment makes up India’s telecommunication backbone. The need of the hour is thus decoupling from China in every field, starting with telecom. Instead, what we are witnessing is a burgeoning trade deficit between the two countries—$72.9 billion in 2021-22, compared to $44 billion the year before. Ministry of Commerce data shows that in April and May this year, India’s exports to China have seen a decline of 31%, while imports have grown by 12.75%. This not only calls for India expanding its manufacturing base, but also supply chain resilience, so that India can weather supply disruptions from China in case of any limited conflict, which, the way the Chinese bully is behaving, could be a question of “when” and not “if”.
Xi Jinping may be talking peace and brotherhood, but at a time when China is itself facing economic headwinds and public unhappiness with Xi Jinping’s government is increasing, what can he do to arouse nationalistic fervour and create a diversion? Start a war, or at least a limited conflict, with either India or Taiwan? What happens then, given our dependence on China in so many areas? The need of the hour is to make India China-proof, not only militarily, but in every way possible.