Editorial: Dragon’s roar

The signs emanating from China appear ominous for India.

The signs emanating from China appear ominous for India. An all-powerful Chinese President, Xi Jinping, set to secure a historic third term in power, has raised the pitch of his belligerent rhetoric. His speech at the ongoing 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China provided a glimpse of the things to come, a muscular quest to replace the United States as the dominant power in Asia. He spoke in no uncertain terms about the country’s military modernisation programme to make the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) an armed force of world-class standards with a long-term goal to achieve ‘the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’ by 2049. Xi has declared that the Chinese military will intensify troop training and combat preparedness to ‘fight and win’ wars, along with establishing a strong system of strategic deterrence. Cocking a snook at the US, he has warned that China will not renounce the use of force to unify Taiwan with the mainland. This hegemonic posturing assumes significance against the backdrop of the communist nation’s rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region. Beijing claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea and built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. It also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea. As videos of the Galwan clash with Indian troops were played at the CPC congress, an event held once in five years, it is clear that security issues are likely to take precedence over economic resurgence as China looks to throw its weight around on a larger scale.

The accelerating pace of Beijing’s nuclear expansion is also a major cause for concern for the international community. To deal with an aggressive China, India must redouble its efforts to boost domestic economic strength, remain socially cohesive, ramp up its security preparedness and cement strategic partnerships. China has changed dramatically under Xi’s now decade-long rule. It also transformed its foreign policy and became the world’s largest creditor with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive global infrastructure and development programme. Xi’s tenure so far has been marked by more authoritarian and repressive policies. It is facing allegations of oppressing the Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minority groups in Western China and crushing any semblance of autonomy in Hong Kong. Xi is determined to reshape Asia as well as the global order to suit Chinese interests. India-China relations have been under stress ever since the Galwan Valley confrontation. The PLA’s modernisation overdrive makes it incumbent on the Indian armed forces to considerably raise their level of battle preparedness. A number of actions by the Chinese, including blocking India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Beijing’s decision to build infrastructure projects in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir under Xi’s legacy project, the BRI, has put the relationship under serious stress.

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