Arunoday Bajpai asked: In near future, what kind of security threat China poses before India?

Prashant Kumar Singh replies: India does not perceive any immediate threat in terms of an attack from China. Presently though, China is engaged in ‘infrastructural intimidation’ on the border and assertion of its claim over many Indian territories. In the security field, we see a growing Chinese presence around India. Its provocative military presence in Pak-Occupied-Kashmir is the latest example in this regard. India also has immediate concerns regarding use of disruptive technologies by China which may impinge on our cyber and space security. Besides, India suspects that China is using Pakistan as proxy to implement some of its own strategic designs against India.

It is debatable whether China has succeeded in undermining India’s interests and reducing its global and regional influence? China’s opposition to NSG waiver to India, its ambiguous stand on India’s entry into the UNSC, its earlier reservation about India’s entry into East Asia Summit and its opposition to ADB loan for a project in Arunachal Pradesh in India, its claim over entire Arunachal Pradesh in last couple of years and its decision to issue stapled visas to Indian citizens of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) all are pointers towards its intention to do so.

The current war of nerves between India and China will remain limited only to diplomatic domain in the short-term. However, India needs to be extremely cautious in dealing with China.