Former Indian Army Chief: Focus on Pakistan in the short term, China challenge in the long term

Former Indian Army Chief: Pakistan Cannot Be Ignored in Short Term, China Should Be Focus in Long Term

Naravane, a retired general who served as Chief of the Army Staff during the 2020 India-China border clash, said in an interview that competition between China and India will always exist, which could lead to confrontation. Therefore, India must prepare for a stronger adversary. In his view, Pakistan represents a short-term challenge for India, while China remains a long-term challenge.

Naravane emphasized that India needs more experts on China.

Naravane pointed out, "This competition sometimes tends toward confrontation. Since the boundary between the two countries has not yet been demarcated, such confrontation always lurks beneath the surface. Therefore, in the long run, although we must always keep China in focus, both sides share common interests in resolving this thorny issue that hinders the normalization and deepening of bilateral relations."

Naravane stated that as long as the border issue persists, "we will always harbor some suspicions toward them (China)." He also reiterated that India needs to conduct deeper research into Beijing to understand its modus operandi.

Regarding the outbreak of the 2020 India-China border clash, Naravane said, "... the nation needs more China specialists," noting that India’s understanding of China largely relies on Western sources.

Naravane added, "So, if we understand their psychology, we might better anticipate their actions." When asked which posed a greater challenge—Pakistan or China—Naravane used chess as an analogy, stating that India should always be prepared to face stronger opponents.

Naravane said, "If you want to improve your chess skills, you must play against stronger players. So clearly, we must strive to compete with China. I believe that in the short term, Pakistan is the priority we must focus on. But in the long term, we should focus on China."

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863491631000775/

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