Article Review: China’s Military
Sahgal, Arun. “China’s Military Modernization: Responses from India”. Washington: National Bureau of Asian Research, 2012 pp. 276-305
Article Summary
This article discusses how innovation has transformed Chinese military and the strategic position of India. It also gives the reaction of India with these rising concerns. The article analyses India’s effort to transform, with special attention to infrastructural growth and skillful construction. Throughout the discussion, the author focuses on how the government of China is paying special attention to military advancement and the link with India’s neighboring states. The main objective of this article is capturing India’s possibility of landing into a security dilemma since the enhancement of its military and cooperation may breed a delicate situation and tensions.
In addition, this articles gives an in-depth analysis of the perception Indian politicians have towards China. According to the article, some powerful Indian politicians support the taming of ever-rising differences between China and India through a treaty that guides fiscal collaboration and engagement. Sahgal Arun also discusses the existing tussle between soft and hard power, with the need for diplomatic approaches to realize truce. For instance, India could consider advancing its military capacity by 2025 to deal border threats, which China triggers. While this is the case, a section of politicians wants New Delhi to develop robust reaction abilities, which are strategic and tactical to tame China. India is also exploring mutual relationship with China through balanced and cooperative associations that allow equal benefits of the two parties. India further hopes to employ dissuasive prevention to counter aggressive ignorance with China. This article therefore explores India’s options in empowering its military, including Chinese accommodation and exterior balancing through a supportive tactical policy from America. Finally, the article captures the perceptions of Indians towards tactical independence as a feasible approach in neutralizing China’s security threat. According to the author, a growth in India’s economy is likely to help in dealing with the problem at hand.
Critique of the Article
It is evident that the article score high in articulating India’s military challenges, stemming from China’s aggression, detailing the plans in place to combat the security crisis. The main issue breeding hostility between the two nations is China’s military advancement. The article also offers practical solutions to India, including establishing a mutual relationship with the U.S. India should also explore marine cooperation for Asian littorals with an aim of establishing “rimland security”. Moreover, India ought to come up with aboriginal defense capacity, industrial base and competencies. Importantly, Indi should internalize U.S offer for defense cooperation, in areas of interest, including Cyberspace, IT, and C4ISR.
The author of this article believes that China has a more developed political system than India but fails to show the exact distance between the two nations. By reading the article, one would imagine that they are immediate neighbors, a factor that is contributing to the prevailing military differences. Sahgal also fails to capture the economic capability of the two countries and leaves the reader with the burden of sourcing this information from the World Bank economic statistics. It is clear that the article puts a lot of emphasis on the differences between India and China, stating why the former needs to act immediately. The author captures the views of few Indian politicians ventilating on why India’s diplomatic department should not engage Chinese military with regard to the defence of the Indian Ocean Region. He therefore portrays the pessimistic attribute of Indian politicians, overriding the existing goodwill between the two nations. He worsens the situation by proposing India’s action plan to appear like a threat to China.
Evaluation of the Article
The article largely focuses on the transformation of China’s military and the rising tensions with India. The author excels in convincing readers that China’s strategic military plan is a serious threat to India, advising her to woo the U.S in a bid to counter Chinese attacks. This is because of the ever-existing differences between China and the U.S of Asian supremacy. For this to go through, India must forego its development agenda and concentrate on the partnership with America.
The article is less convincing. By reading it, I do not see how Chinese military advancement is a threat to India’s security as the author paints throughout the article. This is because the two nations are not immediate neighbors to pose grave security concerns. Lastly, India and China are not rivals with nothing in common to control.