Sept. 7 – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke candidly on Monday about China’s growing assertiveness in the region as the two countries continue to vie for resources and geopolitical influence with their neighbors.
The Times of India reported that, when asked by editors about Beijing’s referencing the Jammu and Kashmir region as “India-controlled Kashmir,” Singh consented that China could be tempted to use India’s “soft underbelly” of Kashmir and Pakistan “to keep India in low equilibrium.”
“China would like to have a foothold in South Asia and we have to reflect on this reality,” Singh said. “We have to be aware of this.”
The prime minister’s comments come amid a wave of negative reports and accusations this month which have escalated already tense bilateral relations.
“There is a new assertiveness among the Chinese. It is difficult to tell which way it will go. So, it’s important to be prepared,” Singh said.
so one more Indian leader comes out acknowledging the friction between the Asian giants… Atleast, as of now the Indian leadership has to realise that PRC is no friend, but a competitor with no or less benign intentions… the sooner India realise this and act accordingly, things will be better for India…
Hope these two giants can co-exist with peace in future…
Sincerely
Sai
There is nothing wrong with China wanting overland road and rail to the Gulf and Central Asia. Besides providing much needed infrastructure for countries such as Pakistan and the Central Asian countries, the cost of transportation of goods to and from China would be reduced and it also lessens the number of ships carrying cargo that risk going down in the seas.
To The_Observer – Your reasoning is too simple to explain the complex situation, life is not that simple especially with the Chinese when dealing with them is more of a Crab Dance. I know how it works in China.
You forget where the transportation routes are going thru… POK…nothing wrong in it ????? Really ???
China is only doing this for its own selfish reasons overlooking everything else. This is bound to happen as China has now become the largest energy consumer overtaking U.S and will do anything to feed it’s demanding economy.
Paritosh,
India is the party that is selfish and vicious. Whatever China doing with Pakistan is their own business and shouldn’t concern India. India had its own things to settle back home, so why meddle on other’s affair?
India is also working with US, Japan and Korea on some defence and China has not objected to it. So, why is India so nosy about China’s business with pakistan, sri Lanka and other countries not govern by India?
I have worked with Indians too and they like to argue more than working to get things done.
Paritosh: It makes sense for China to use this route. There will be one more route China will make, that is through Burma. Both of these routes will give China upper hand in dealing with US in Pacific. So, basically, US will be forced to focus in south Asia, not for too long though. Ultimately US will resign from geopolitical game and China will be the new boss.
India does not lose much because there is not much to lose. If there is a war between us and Pakistan, China wont come to help Pakistan. It never had, and cost of war with India is going to increase every year. Chinese are not going to fight for someone else. Chinese never do charity.
Coming to Pakistan occupied Kashmir, well that place could actually lead to war with China without any input from Pakistan. China has upper hand and India better be prepared.
But all is not lost, India has a great friend in Israel. India should try to get as much benefit from this relationship. If India does its homework, it can crack the code.
@kwc : I have worked with Chinese they work hard and don’t talk much but they are not honest and they don’t have anything between their ears.
@ajay
“I have worked with Chinese they work hard and don’t talk much but they are not honest and they don’t have anything between their ears.”
I would say that the top leadership in China is probably more honest that that in either the USA or India. Leadership is very important as it sets the tone for the people and civil society. The Chinese are aware of problems they have and are trying all sorts of models to solve their problems. The USA recognizes that they have problems but they assume they have the correct economic and political system and don’t recognize the shortcomings. The Indians shout about democracy and yet society is corrupt from top to bottom and don’t think they have any problems.
If the Chinese don’t have anything between their ears then the development of the last 30 years has been a gift from the gods. Her economy from 1970 onwards was on par with India which has a smaller population to care for. At the end of her civil war, the Chinese only had the PLA and no scientific establishment but today has an economy 3.5 times greater than India. The Indians were left with democracy, railroads, the English language and a civil service at independence. For the Indian’s to still have in 2010 more beggars and poor people than any other region in the world shows how “clever” the Indians have been. Either that or the gods have decided to condemn your country.
before we start flaming here, let us remember that China cannot completely eliminate India, nor can India eliminate China.
South Asia is India’s backyard and limiting India’s influence there is prone to be expensive. even PRC recognizes that.
@The Observer: Funnily ur trade route is a supply route for Indian eyes…and abt ships goin down, does PRC use junks to ship its exports? No! and the case of modern ships going down is not substantiative(unless in case of a war or trade embargo).
@KWC: India is selfish? yes! we have defence deals with US, but the ones with Japan n SK are negligible. Pak, SL, Maldives are part of our region and an outsider meddling there is sure cause an alarm. jus like US plyin in Korea n Taiwan freaks PRC..
@ajay n kwc: Pls refrain from stereotyping people. also let us learn to respect others and their differences.
I had some Chinese profs, few were really aweful, but i also had some damn good Chinese profs who were really friendly n helpful…
@The Observer:
Brits left us democracy, civil services, etc, but we had choosen to remain non-aligned initially, so our development was shunted, unlike PRC which had USSR nd USA as close partners at various times.
sincerely
Sai
@Sai
“and abt ships goin down, does PRC use junks to ship its exports? No! and the case of modern ships going down is not substantiative(unless in case of a war or trade embargo).”
Modern ships or not, they are still subject to storms out on the seas and oceans. It is not unknown for ocean liners and container ships to sink out in the. In addition, shipping is subject to attacks by pirates in the less developed parts of the world. Rail has the additional advantage of moving goods quickly and cheaply. You are also correct that in the case of hostilities between China and India, the latter has stated that she would barricade the Straits of Malacca.
and “Brits left us democracy, civil services, etc, but we had choosen to remain non-aligned initially, so our development was shunted, unlike PRC which had USSR and USA as close partners at various times.”
I can quote one of your former masters (and instigator of the Opium War against China), Lord Palmerston (1784-1865), “Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests.”
Also it’s not just “friends” a country has but how organized and how well governed it is. Haiti and the Philippines are “friends” of USA for over a hundred years now but I wouldn’t want to go to the former and the latter I would only visit.
cont..
@Sai
“…Pak, SL, Maldives are part of our region and an outsider meddling there is sure cause an alarm…”
Shouldn’t be. There is nothing to say that a country like China can’t have economic and diplomatic relations with S. Asian countries. In addition, if India were to have cordial, mutually beneficial relations with her smaller neighbours then she shouldn’t feel threatened by any approaches made by China to them.
Friends
The point here is China is getting into POK, which is disputed and it better stay out till its settled.