China’s military white paper plays down dispute with India

[Ashoka The Great]

China’s military has issued a white paper blaming the US for causing tension in the Asia-Pacific region and naming Japan as a troublemaker. But the paper plays down the country’s troubled relationship with India over boundary claims. It also reveals details of China’s enormous military structure, with some of the information being released for the first time.

The report issued by the People’s Liberation Army on Tuesday complained about “neighbouring countries” complicating and exacerbating tensions. Especially targeted were China’s sea neighbours, including Japan, which the report accused of “making trouble over the Diaoyu islands”.
“China still faces multiple and complicated security threats and challenges,” said the white paper on ‘The Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces’.

There is little discussion about India in the paper and even joint exercises conducted between the military of the two countries have not been discussed in any detail. Military exchanges with China’s neighbours such as Vietnam, South Korea and Pakistan are specifically mentioned.

“Some countries are strengthening their Asia-Pacific military alliances, expanding military presence in the region, and frequently making the situation there tenser,” the paper said without taking any names. The obvious reference was to the expansion of US presence in the seas near South Korea, Vietnam and Japan.

Replying to a question about the US presence in Asia-Pacific, defence ministry spokesman Colonel Yang Yujun told a press conference: “Certain efforts made to highlight a military agenda and enhance military deployment and also strengthen military alliances in the region are not in line with the common interest.” Such actions “were not conducive to upholding peace and stability in the region”, he said.

About China’s military structure, the paper said the army had 850,000 officers, while the navy and air force had a strength of 235,000 and 398,000. The air force has 398,000 officers and an air command in seven military areas, while the navy commands three fleets: the Beihai, the Donghai and the Nanhai. China’s defence budget rose by 11.2% in 2012, exceeding $100 billion.

The white paper mentioned the role of China’s second artillery force, which contains its nuclear and conventional missile forces. The force is crucial to China’s “strategic deterrence” and is “primarily responsible for deterring other countries from using nuclear weapons against China, and carrying out nuclear counterattacks and precision strikes with conventional missiles”, the paper said.

China’s military white paper plays down dispute with India | idrw.org

 

[A.Rafay]

No mention of "india" for dispute, no mention of it in the joint military exercises in china's white paper like the Obama Romneys Foreign policy debate where india was not even mentioned, this make it look how insignificant and unimportant india really is.

 

[Dillinger]

No mention of "india" for dispute, no mention of it in the joint military exercises in china's white paper like the Obama Romneys Foreign policy debate where india was not even mentioned, this make it look how insignificant and unimportant india really is.

We'd rather be "insignificant" than a cesspool of drones and American bases. Come back the day an "ally" of India uses its airbases to bomb its people. Having signed the CENTO and SEATO must have really boosted your significance, to the point that your own strong man, mard-e-momin, Mushy admitted that he caved into American pressure and gave them Pasni, Shamsi and Jacobabad.

 

[Ashoka The Great]

No mention of "india" for dispute, no mention of it in the joint military exercises in china's white paper like the Obama Romneys Foreign policy debate where india was not even mentioned, this make it look how insignificant and unimportant india really is.

Other possiblity may be that situation between both the nations is now improving and chinese now don't want to bring in the insignificant matter of border dispute (when compared to the biletral trade with INDIA). Join military exerice is the proof of this newly developed trust and so is the visit of chinese destroyer to Cochi.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

No mention of "india" for dispute, no mention of it in the joint military exercises in china's white paper like the Obama Romneys Foreign policy debate where india was not even mentioned, this make it look how insignificant and unimportant india really is.

I don't think it's about being significant or not.

It's more to do with the fact that the border dispute with India is not a very high priority for us.

Our biggest foreign policy priorities right now are all in the Pacific.

Our Pacific disputes are MUCH more important in geostrategic terms. Not to mention that the average Chinese person can be driven into a rage by mention of Diaoyutai (myself included) but very few will know or even care about the border disputes in the Himalayas.

 

[acid rain]

No mention of "india" for dispute, no mention of it in the joint military exercises in china's white paper like the Obama Romneys Foreign policy debate where india was not even mentioned, this make it look how insignificant and unimportant india really is.

They have bigger issues to worry about, we have bigger issues to worry about - they dont mention us - we dont mention them. Everything's cool on the border with joint mechanisms in border patrolling on the cards and both the PM and Xi calling for much better relations with India.

 

[Dillinger]

I don't think it's about being significant or not.

It's more to do with the fact that the border dispute with India is not a very high priority for us.

Our biggest foreign policy priorities right now are all in the Pacific.

Our Pacific disputes are MUCH more important in geostrategic terms. Not to mention that the average Chinese person can be driven into a rage by mention of Diaoyutai (myself included) but very few will know or even care about the border disputes in the Himalayas.

There seems to be a calm in our relations, so far there have been no real acrimony over our own progress in Arunachal with our military infrastructure and ORBAT. Both countries seem to be viewing each other with renewed confidence and pragmatism. Unfortunately while we know that CBM processes have been prepared we don't know the specifics of these interactions, that would have given us a greater insight into what is prevailing on the ground.

 

[A.Rafay]

We'd rather be "insignificant" than a cesspool of drones and American bases. Come back the day an "ally" of India uses its airbases to bomb its people. Having signed the CENTO and SEATO must have really boosted your significance, to the point that your own strong man, mard-e-momin, Mushy admitted that he caved into American pressure and gave them Pasni, Shamsi and Jacobabad.

When there is no proper answer you guys bring these issues of drones and bases which are actually used to fight terrorism.

Other possiblity may be that situation between both the nations is now improving and chinese now don't want to bring in the insignificant matter of border dispute (when compared to the biletral trade with INDIA). Join military exerice is the proof of this newly developed trust and so is the visit of chinese destroyer to Cochi.

Joint military exercise? Is that even mentioned in the white paper?

 

[A.Rafay]

I don't think it's about being significant or not.

It's more to do with the fact that the border dispute with India is not a very high priority for us.

Our biggest foreign policy priorities right now are all in the Pacific.

Our Pacific disputes are MUCH more important in geostrategic terms. Not to mention that the average Chinese person can be driven into a rage by mention of Diaoyutai (myself included) but very few will know or even care about the border disputes in the Himalayas.

Thats what the other part of my comment said, these things may not be important but indians get really frustrated when they are not mentioned.

 

[Ashoka The Great]

When there is no proper answer you guys bring these issues of drones and bases which are actually used to fight terrorism.


Joint military exercise? Is that even mentioned in the white paper?

It's still gonna happen, ain't it? Mentioned in white paper or not, doesn't matter.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Thats what the other part of my comment said, these things may not be important but indians get really frustrated when they are not mentioned.

Yeah I found that quite strange as well.

The Times of India especially seems to go crazy whenever India is not mentioned in any random Chinese event, yet no one seems to care when our highest leaders Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang come to Indian leaders and talk about improving cooperation?

 

[A.Rafay]

Yeah I found that quite strange as well.

The Times of India especially seems to go crazy whenever India is not mentioned in any random Chinese event, yet no one seems to care when our highest leaders Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang come to Indian leaders and talk about improving cooperation?

Yep their newspapers and journalists who write these types articles really go crazy!

 

[Dillinger]

When there is no proper answer you guys bring these issues of drones and bases which are actually used to fight terrorism.


Joint military exercise? Is that even mentioned in the white paper?

A proper answer would be that India and China have learnt to live while giving each other space. Since you seem to be wholly ill-equipped and ill-informed please forward your queries to @Chinese-Dragon and ask him to elucidate upon the CBM and PM to PM interaction and solutions that the two nations are working on. That fellow has been trying to drive it into certain people's skulls that both nations have many more important issues to contend with rather than seeing two Asian Giants fight it out for the pleasure of your erstwhile masters- the Americans, much to the acrimony of many a Pakistani poster who have attempted to abuse him over such matters.

The notion that we cannot march in to Xizang nor that they can march out of Xizang does not seem to get through your obdurate and thick skull. I would suggest that you take the help of a topographical map. The only flash-points between the two nations are Askai Chin and Arunachal and both have been calm for a very long time. Enhanced by the new mutual border security mechanisms that have kicked in. We just don't capitalize on such news items. The waters have stilled as our own military infra projects and active ORBAT reconstitution work goes ahead full steam in Arunahcal so as to build a credible conventional deterrence in the region itself.

 

[selvan33]

I think SCS dispute is the main problem for china not a himalayan boundaries.

 

[Sergi]

Yeah I found that quite strange as well.

The Times of India especially seems to go crazy whenever India is not mentioned in any random Chinese event, yet no one seems to care when our highest leaders Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang come to Indian leaders and talk about improving cooperation?

No news is as good as Bad news

I wonder you follow TOI if you really want to read TOI just read the column "Speaking tree" and throw the paper and buy "Hindu"