DRAGON ON OUR DOORSTEP

India might not admit it, but
should it find itself involved in a border war with China it will lose. Apart
from superior military power, close coordination between the political
leadership and the military and the ability to take quick decisions, China has
potent anti-satellite and cyber warfare capabilities. Even more shockingly,
regardless of popular opinion, India today is not even in a position to win a
war against Pakistan. This has nothing to do with Pakistan?s nuclear weapons.
It is because while India has been focused on building military force (troops
and materiel needed to wage war) Pakistan has built military power (learning
how to optimally utilize its military force). In this lies the difference
between losing and winning. Far from being the strong Asian power of its
perception, India could find itself extremely vulnerable to the hostility of
its powerful neighbors. In Dragon On Our Doorstep, Pravin Sawhney and Ghazala
Wahab analyse the geopolitics of the region and the military strategies of
the three Asian countries to tell us exactly why India is in this precarious
position and how it can transform itself through deft strategy into a leading
power.The most populous countries and fastest growing economies in the
world?India and China?have cultural and economic relations that date back to
the second century bc. But over the years, despite the many treaties and
agreements between the two nations, border clashes (including the disastrous
1962 war) and disagreements over Tibet and Jammu and Kashmir have complicated
the relationship. For decades China kept a low profile. However, since 2008,
when it was recognized as an economic power, China has become assertive.
Today, this Himalayan balancing act of power is clearly tilted towards China,
in whose view there is room for only one power in Asia. In this rise,
Pakistan has emerged as China?s most trusted and crucial partner. The
partnership between China and Pakistan, whether in terms of military
interoperability (ability to operate as one in combat), or geostrategic
design (which is unfolding through the wide-sweeping One Belt One Road
project), has serious implications for India. The best that India can do is
try and manage the relationship so that the dragon?s rise is not at the cost of
India.