Border Dispute With China Remains A Challenge, Says CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Anil Chauhan, said on Monday that border issues with China will continue to be the biggest problem the country will have to deal with for a while.

The CDS said these things while giving the opening address to a conference called “Rise of China and its implications for the world.” The conference was put together by the department of strategic studies at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) as part of its third strategic and security dialogue. The theme of the conference was “Strategic Outlook of India and the Future Role of the Indian Air Force in Combat.”

The Center for China Analysis and Strategy in New Delhi and the Center for Advanced Strategic Studies in New Delhi worked together to put on the event.

He said that the armed forces need to keep claims valid on the disputed line with China even when there is peace.

“This will require very smart handling of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on all the points of friction to be dealt with with calibrated firmness, and both sides must follow the rules of engagement that have been agreed upon,” he said.

As with all contested borders, CDS Chauhan warned that the other side would likely make up new facts or markers, such as toponymy or cartographic aggressions, to tell a different story.

“It will have to be fought by all of us together, including students, academics, strategists, and thinkers,” he said.

“Instability in the immediate and extended neighborhood has to be seen in the light of the fact that India needs to grow its footprint to cover the important gaps where other people come in and fill them,” the CDS said. In India’s back yard, they play a Chinese checker game of tactics when it comes to long-term security.

He also said, “India wants to and must become the first responder and security partner in the Indian Ocean Region. It must also increase its influence in the Indian Ocean littoral beyond traditional areas.”

CDS Gen Chauhan talked about how the global political situation is changing. He said that some experts might say we are entering a new era of the Cold War, while others think we are entering a new era of global chaos.

“The traditional lines between peace and war are becoming less clear as new geopolitical actors and asymmetric threats appear.” He said, “Strategic and tactical perspectives need to be reevaluated because of the current geopolitical uncertainty.”

Others who spoke at the event included Prof. Vijay Khare, dean of the school of humanities and senior professor and head of the department of defense and strategic studies at SPPU, and Jayadeva Ranade, president of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.