Special Correspondent
On his return home last week after visiting Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Generals on September 22 to be ready for a regional war. Addressing the Generals at the PLA headquarters President Xi also directed them to improve their combat readiness and sharpen ability to win a regional war in the age of information technology, according to official Xinhua news agency.
The directives of President Xi came in the midst of standoff between the PLA forces and Indian troops over border dispute in Ladakh region. Besides longstanding dispute with India, China has also territorial disputes in the South China Sea with Japan and Vietnam.
Indian army chief cancels Bhutan trip
Is Xi’s directive to the Generals a whimper or genuine, wonder the China watchers. Nevertheless, the developing situation has raised concern in Delhi. Indian Army chief General Dalbir Suhag has cancelled his four-day visit to Bhutan which was scheduled to start Tuesday.
Analysts say war over the disputed territory is possible but it is unlikely China will launch even a limited war in near future to resolve the border or territorial disputes with its adversaries. President Xi Jinping asking the PLA generals to prepare for a regional war might be a message to those opposed creation of his 21st vision of Silk Road, a sea route from the shore of China over the South China Sea and India Ocean to Europe via African coasts. This would mean Chinese domination over the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Japan, India and Australia opposing the move were reportedly trying to gang up with the US to contain the rise of China.
Indian media reports say more than 50 Chinese soldiers entered Chumar in Ladakh on (last) Saturday, days after 100 troops crossed into four/five km inside Indian territory. The Chinese argued that there was no actual line of control in the absence of border demarcation. Zee News TV footage showed Chinese raised more than a dozen tents in areas claimed as Indian territory in presence of Indian troops.
TV commentator was highly critical of President Xi accusing him of playing dual role with India. Chinese troops camped in tents are showing no signs of withdrawing despite repeated warnings by the Indian army as the standoff passed off 13th day on September 24. Hindustan Times report on September 23 said PLA has reduced its strength at one point but strengthened it elsewhere. The pull-here push-there is part of army manoeuvre to assess the strength of the opponents. Xinhua reported that the PLA chiefs of staff met in Beijing on Sunday to discuss how to improve “the efficiency of military command under new circumstances”.
China: Modi’s main challenge
Defence analyst Jagannathan of India viewed that China is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biggest foreign policy and defence challenge. When President Xi tells his Generals to get prepared for a regional war, India must take note of it, pay more attention to China than ever before and remain eternally on guard.
India should also remember that the Chinese invented the art of winning a war without actually waging it, with Sun Tzu’s classic ‘The Art of War’ an idea being drilled into every Chinese general. The key elements of Sun Tzu’s approach to war are: war is necessary for success; but a successful war must be short and decisive in order to be of worth and to ensure no economic damage is caused; so planning and execution are key; sowing confusion in the enemy even while maintaining unity in your own ranks are additional elements in the Sun Tzu scheme of waging war.
This is exactly what happened in 1962, when the Chinese waged war on India for a few weeks. After defeating the Indian army, China soon withdrew from most areas barring the ones of strategic importance to them in Ladakh (Aksai Chin).
Reports also said the Chinese have already put in place the logistics needed to intimidate the Indian forces along the border by building up infrastructure. According to Hindustan Times, the PLA held war games some 70 km away from Chumar’s border eight months ago, and the “exercise was conducted in a “war zone concept” of the Chinese army, with real time intelligence and direct contact with headquarters in Beijing. The report also quotes sources in Leh as saying the Chinese have already built a motorable track in the Ladakh region and are now trying to extend it further to India controlled areas.
Source: Weekly lHoliday
