The Indo-Pacific Challenge

Context: India’s participation in “Quad” and pre-emptive operations on strategic heights (Pangong Lake) in response to Chinese border threats reflects changes in India’s foreign and national security policies.

Key Elements of Chinese Challenge:

• Debt trap diplomacy: Chinese aid (with no transfer of know-how or technology) in developing countries is compelling them to mortgage their lands, ports and development projects to China.
  • China’s $60 billion investment in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor leads to Pakistan mortgaging land around Gwadar port.
  • Construction of Hambantota port (Sri Lanka) and Bay of Bengal port of Kyaukphyu (Myanmar) on terms of Chinese “assistance”.
• China’s hegemonistic characteristics: Aggressive efforts of China to dominate the Indo-Pacific region by violating International Law of Seas and Human Rights.
  • China has territorial and maritime boundary disputes with Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
• Masters of Salami slicing: The fact that the ‘Line of Actual Control’ is a term, which has never been clearly defined, which has been regularly misused by China to claim its territorial sovereignty.
  • Whether in Ladakh, Sikkim, or Arunachal Pradesh, and also lay claim to territory in Bhutan.

Global Response to Chinese Challenge

• Forming Security-oriented grouping like “Quad”: between India, Japan, Australia and the US.
  • It will ensure freedom of navigation, territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of disputes in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Military agreement and security dialogue: between India and US for sharing “sensitive satellite data.
  • It will ensure “real-time access” to intelligence information on developments across India’s borders with China.
• International Collaboration of European powers: like the UK, France and Germany against China’s human rights violations and 5G Huawei services.

Conclusion: India must reduce overdependence on China (in electronic and other vital spheres) and ensure mutual agreement on delineating and respecting ‘Line of Actual Control’.