“The tense situation on the Indochina border in eastern Ladakh will continue and will not diminish as the Chinese Army (PLA) has taken a stubborn stance and is not ready to withdraw on the ground,” said Lieutenant General (Retd) Deependra. Singh Hooda, former commanding general officer of the Northern Command.
The veteran army general spoke during the Virtual Meeting on ‘The Future of Indochina Relations’, organized by the University of Chandigarh, Gharuan. The virtual meeting was attended by the former general of the Indian army, the former chief of the Indian navy, national security experts and senior officials from the Punjab government administration, who interacted with the students to brief them on the situation on the ground among the two Asian powers.
Other dignitaries participating in the Virtual Meeting on Indochina Relations included Admiral (Retd) Sunil Lanba, former Chief of the Indian Navy and former Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Lieutenant General (Retd) Parveen Bakshi , Former General Office Commander-in-Chief of Eastern Command, Indian Army, Bharat Karnad, National Security Expert and Professor Emeritus, Policy Research Center and Rahul Bhandari (IAS), Secretary of Higher Education, Water Resources, Mines and Geology, Government of Punjab.
Although a series of talks at the military, diplomatic and ministerial level have been held between the two countries over the period of recent months, yet the Chinese (PLA) has refused to disconnect at ground level and maintain the status quo in Line of Actual Control (LAC). There may be some local incidents in LAC, but the nuclear powers India and China cannot afford to have a full-blown war, ”Lieutenant General (Retd) Hooda said, while providing details on the current border situation.
“Both India and China have deployed a large number of army personnel who have prepared for long-term eye-to-eye situations, but the Indian Army has a tactical advantage over the Chinese (PLA), as the Security Forces of India have experience operating in higher altitudes and mountainous terrains in harsh winters, ”added Gen Hooda.
“There is currently a huge trade imbalance between India and China, which can be determined by the fact that Chinese products have a penetration of 2.7% in Indian markets, while Indian products have a penetration of 0.1%. in Chinese markets. 68 percent of pharmaceutical formulations and 90 percent of antibiotics in India currently come from China, ”said Rahul Bhandari, Secretary for Higher Education, Water Resources, Mines and Geology of the Government of Punjab, while speaking on the economic front .
“The ban on social apps by the Indian government has not had a great impact on the Chinese economy as we are currently importing a large number of products such as solar components, electronic products, IT hardware, telecom components, mobile phones, fertilizers and India will take 5-10 “years to become self-sufficient or look for new partners who can meet our technology needs,” added Bhandari.
Responding to the question of the possible threat of a cyberattack by China, Admiral (Retd) Sunil Lanba said: “The Indian government is aware of the fact that China has deeply intruded into our technology and communication ecosystem through of the supply of components by Chinese companies and that the threat of a cyber attack from our hostile neighbor is real. Although the government is taking preventive measures by increasing an alert nationwide and strengthening monitoring by intelligence agencies, there is still much to do in terms of hardware and technology installation. ”
“India should not depend on the United States, as it has not been a reliable ally, as can be deduced from the cases of Japan and South Korea. We should include South Asian countries such as Vietnam, Taiwan as the fourth pillar of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) that comprises the ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific region, ”said Bharat Karnad, national security expert and professor emeritus of the Center. Policy Research. “India needs to accelerate its defense spending as the gap between China’s defense budget and India’s defense budget will reach $ 500 billion by 2030, creating a regional imbalance between the two Asian countries,” He said.
(This story was posted from a cable agency feed with no text changes. Only the title was changed)
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