Caution : Assertive China

Caution : Assertive China Vs New India

Chinese stands from time to time have often attracted attention of Indian People and Indian Government, often with caution . There are so many factors (pixels) which, if combined draw a rough picture of what it means. There is no doubt that both countries are powerful nations and emerging global powers. They are also competing forces as well as trading partners (you can read more in the previous post "Can China Apply Brakes On India's Progress".

दोस्त बन बन के मिले मुझको मिटाने वाले

मैने देखे हैं कई रंग बदलने वाले 

Some Issues: A glimpse of China's Assertive Nature

• Last month China refused to grant visa to top Indian Army General in charge of Kashmir region.
• China issues separate visa to residents of Kashmir, passport issued by Indian Government is not stamped.
• China Expanding Its Naval Power: This shouldn't be taken lightly as sea plays an important role in both peace and war and is therefore should be an important part of any strategy.  Get a glimpse of Chinese intention in  this column published online titled "Don't Shun The Idea of Setting Up Overseas Military Bases", this will give you a first hand idea of what China is trying to do and how it is covering it up.
• A detailed report by Harsh V. Pant (teaches in Department of Defense Studies in King's College, London) "China’s Naval Expansion in the Indian Ocean and India-China Rivalry," The Asia-Pacific Journal, 18-4-10, May 3, 2010.
• More information Chinese global expansion plans can be had from these published notes
  
  ¹  “China plans to slow expansion of defense spending in 2010,” Washington Post, March 5, 2010.
  
  ²  Shen Dingli, “Don’t shun the idea of setting up military bases overseas,” January 28, 2010,.
  
  ³  Edward Wong, “Chinese Military Seeks to Extend Its Naval Power,” New York Times, April 23, 2010.
  
  ⁴  Youssef Bodansky, “The PRC Surge for the Strait of Malacca and Spratly Confronts India and the US,” Defense and Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy, Washington, DC, September 30, 1995, pp. 6-13.
  
  ⁵  Manu Pubby, “China’s new n-submarine base sets off alarm bells,” Indian Express, May 3, 2008.
  
  ⁶  The term “string of pearls” was first used in a report titled “Energy Futures in Asia” that was commissioned by the US Department of Defense’s Office of net Assessment from defense contractor, Booz-Allen-Hamilton. For details, see David Walgreen, “China in the Indian Ocean Region: Lessons in PRC Grand Strategy,” Comparative Strategy, Vol. 25, No. 2 (January 2006). Also, see Jae-Hyung Lee, “China’s Expanding Maritime Ambitions in the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean,” Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol. 24, No. 3 (June 2007), pp. 553-4.
  
  ⁷  For a detailed explication of the security ramifications of the Chinese “string of pearls” strategy, see Gurpreet Khurana, “China’s ‘String of Pearls’ in the Indian Ocean and Its Security Implications,” Strategic Analysis, Vol. 32, No. 1 (January 2008), pp. 1-22.
  
  ⁸  Ziad Haider, “Oil Fuels Beijing’s new Power Game,” Yale Global Online, March 11, 2005,.
  
  ⁹  Saibal Dasgupta, “China mulls setting up military base in Pakistan,” Times of India, January 28, 2010.
  
  ¹⁰  Geoffrey Till, Seapower: A Guide for the Twenty-First Century (London: Frank Cass, 2004), p. 102, concludes from this that the Chinese government appears “to have a very clear vision of the future importance of the sea and a sense of the strategic leadership needed to develop maritime interest.”

I hope this is enough to understand the concern raised in this post's title. India too has a right to prepare itself for any unforeseen circumstance and to maintain its dignity and interests. 

What do you think, isn't it right for India be cautious and aware of growing influence and power of China in the region, please read all the relevant references & comment about assertive nature of China.