PUNE — Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Monday said the unsettled borders with China and the rise of that country will remain the most formidable challenge for India and its armed forces in the foreseeable future.
Speaking at the 3rd Strategic and Security Dialogue on the Rise of China and its implications for the world, General Chauhan emphasised the need for astute handling of the PLA (People's Liberation Army) at all friction points concerning the disputed borders.
General Chauhan said India has disputed borders with neighbours and these conflicts have led to the emergence of terms like the Line of Actual Control, Line of Control, and Actual Ground Position Line.
"The unsettled borders with China and the rise of China will remain the most formidable challenge that India and the Indian armed forces will face in the foreseeable future," the Chief of Defence Staff said.
He said the armed forces need to maintain the legitimacy of India's claims during peacetime on these disputed borders, which will require "very astute handling of the PLA at all the friction points, calibrated firmness, and both sides to operate within the ambit of agreed rules of engagement".
The top commander further said that like all disputed borders, there will be a tendency by the adversary to create new facts or markers, toponymy (the study of place names), cartographic aggression, or to create a new narrative.
"This again will have to be countered collectively by all of us at all levels, which includes academicians, thinkers, and strategists," the Chief of Defence Staff said.
General Chauhan referred to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's statement wherein he had said that there is more to the Sino-India relations than the border disputes.
"Similarly, in an increasingly inter-connected world, Sino-India relations cannot be viewed in a binary kind of perspective. The rise of China affects other nations as well, and we must look at like-minded nations for an equitable balance while remaining cognisant of the fact that one must be prepared to fight its own battle," the Chief of Defence Staff said.
Speaking about the challenges related to technology, General Chauhan said as technology emerges as the new currency of power, there is a tendency of nations to deny competitors.
"Technology denial regimes existed in the past, but what we are witnessing now is a race to retain technological edge. India cannot afford the emergence of a major technological gap between us and our immediate adversaries, and that would be fatal for us," the Chief of Defence Staff said.
He said this "battle of increasing technological gap" has to be fought not only by soldiers but also by academics, scientists, and everyone as a nation together.
General Chauhan also spoke about the challenge of rising fragility and the outcome of political, social, and economic stability in the immediate neighbourhood.
"India seems to be the only island of stability in a sea of turmoil and turbulence. Political, social, and economic instability in countries in our immediate neighbourhood make them vulnerable to foreign influence," he said.
General Chauhan further said adversaries in the past have taken advantage of this situation, thereby increasing India's vulnerability and security problems, which is a major security challenge.